Escaping Neptune
by GlitterFairyPrincess
Summary: Veronica realizes that even as an FBI agent, the past just won't go away. Future Fic LoVe and MaDi with guests. PS, Rob Thomas Owns all of life. I only get to play with his toys a little bit. R/R Please! Now up: The Next Installment! Finally!
1. Prologue

_Prologue:_

" Whatever you say, Ronnie"

"I thought we decided you weren't going to call me that ever again." Veronica said a little more sharply than intended.

"Why? I can tell it turns you on when I call you Ronnie, Ronnie."

"No, it doesn't," she stated with a little too much confidence.

"Yes. It does. I can see it in your eyes."

"It doesn't. I hate that nickname." Logan looked at Veronica skeptically. "Seriously, you need to stop calling me that."

"Why? Does it make you want to tear all of my clothes off right here in the middle of the champagne brunch with all of the other hotel patrons watching?"

"No, Logan." She stalled. If they really were going to be open and honest, it would have to start somewhere, she realized. "Because…it reminds me of high school. When you were-"

"Oh." He realized. "When I was the obligatory psychotic jackass you loved so much?" His statement was rife with sarcasm, yet she could tell his eyes clouded over with regret, if only for a moment.

"Yeah, maybe." She said quietly.

"Well, then I'm going to have to do a quick test. Just look at me and keep quiet." Logan gently commanded with a new quizzical look upon his face. "Veronica?"

"What?"

"Shhh! I said keep quiet. That means don't speak." Logan smirked as Veronica raised her hands in question. "Shh. Bobcat?" Logan paused. He watched intently as Veronica squirmed and shook her head at his sudden undivided attention.

"Logan, what are you doing?"

Veronica. Shush. Don't speak. I have a scientific experiment going here. Sugarpuss…Tiny Blond One…Sweetums…V…Darling…Mars…'Ronica." Logan got an excited and curious look on his face. "Hmm. Baby? Veronica Mars, I think I just figured out what turns you on!" He said a little more loudly than she appreciated.

"WHAT?!" Veronica whisper-yelled. "Logan! Shut up! People are starting to look at us and listen to you."

"Seriously. I just said all of those names," Logan lowered his voice. "And you got the same exact look every time. I'm going to try once more just to be sure. Snugglebunny?"

"I think the look I was giving you is the one where I think the person talking to me might just be crazy."

"Nope. Well, maybe that was your intention. But, Baby?" He looked her square in the eyes. "Your eyes say differently."

"Really? So what do my eyes say?" Veronica questioned with obvious doubt.

"It doesn't matter what I call you. It's my voice that turns you on." Veronica blushed furiously and Logan grinned uncontrollably.

"No. You're Wrong."

"You're blushing. But, it's only when I use this low soothing voice. If I go to a higher pitched voice or change to a more jarring sound, you don't have the same reaction."

"You're on drugs again, aren't you?"

"Nope. I've just been highly trained to notice nuances in people's faces. That's courtesy of the FBI. And I've been trained in how to ask the right questions. That's courtesy of my Psych. and Soc. Masters Degrees.

"So. You're profiling me right now?"

"No. Just looking for the quickest path back into your pants." They both laughed and she stopped when he started shaking his head. "Man, I could've saved myself so much time if I'd figured that out when I was 17."


	2. Stood Up

24 Hours Earlier 

Veronica hated being late. She rushed into the office juggling her leather messenger bag, 3 large case files, and her Venti Caramel Macchiato. More than being late, she hated being stood up. When she waited at the coffee shop that Friday morning, 30 minutes went by as she watched both doors and got up to examine the odds and ends being sold. She was going to give him a piece of her mind the minute she had the chance. When she walked into the office only to find him chatting with 'The Boys Club' to which all the rookies save two belonged, she was out and out pissed off. She dropped everything but her macchiato on her desk and glared in his direction. If he was trying to convince her that their relationship meant more to him than her assumed booty call status, he had lost his last chance. Not only did he make her late to work by not showing, he didn't even appear to care. Veronica walked purposefully over to Callie Farmer as she observed a sort of buzz about the office.

"Hey Callie. What's going on around here? I thought the big debriefing would've started by now."

"Apparently we're waiting for some big shot profiler to come in from Virginia. Rumors are flying all over the place about how we're all in for a big treat." Callie answered with mock excitement. "Oh my God!" She gasped.

"What?" Veronica asked sipping her macchiato as she turned to look in the direction Callie stared with wide eyes. The next thing Veronica realized, her macchiato was on the ground.

"Smoothe, V." Callie laughed. "Celebrity crush, much?"

"You've gotta be kidding me!" Veronica voiced, forgetting the drink all over the floor as she stomped over in the direction of the celebrity. "What the HELL are you doing here?" She growled loudly.

"I thought you were assigned to NYC?!" He sighed.

"Try LA. I repeat. What the hell are you doing here?" Veronica grabbed his elbow and dragged him to a corner to cut down on the stares coming from her colleagues.

"I'm here on a job, Veronica. How 'bout we hold this conversation another time?" He warily eyed the growing crowd of eyes.

"You disappeared on me three years ago and never said anything about leaving. Then you show up at MY work and expect me to just let it go?!" Her emotions were getting away from her.

"No. I expect you to act professionally and not dredge up a bunch of high school bullshit in front of 15 prying Feds." He was pushing her buttons desperately trying to get her to compose herself.

"Stupid high school bullshit?! That's what you think this is about?"

"Mars! I see you've met Mr. Echolls." Agent Hendricks stated. As he rushed into the office, the crowd dissipated. "Briefing room. Two minutes!" He announced to the room at large. He escorted Logan into his office.

"What the hell was that?!" Callie asked, unsure if she was impressed or offended that she knew nothing about this development in the life and times of Veronica Mars.

"That. Was Logan Echolls," Veronica said, her mind clouding over as she walked toward the briefing room.

"Veronica! What the hell?" Seth quizzed territorially.

"Coffee this morning was great, Seth! Thanks for asking." Veronica slammed past Seth into the large briefing room and slumped down into her regular seat. Anger enveloped her as she began to come to grips with the fact that her bad mood caused a temporary bout of insanity. _Oh holy shit. Did I just completely lose it in front of everyone?! Shit. Shit. Shit!_

"You realize you just left your coffee on the ground for me to clean up." Callie smirked as she sat gingerly next to Veronica.

"I plead temporary insanity. I owe you one, Cal."

"Damn straight. You also owe me a BIG explanation."

"Good morning." Hendricks stated authoritatively as if there were no doubt anywhere in his mind that no one in this room could possibly disagree. Logan stood back at the entrance to the room as Hendricks walked up to the podium. Veronica stared at Logan without regard to her co-workers sideways glances. _He looks good. Maybe a little older, and his hair is darker, or shorter? Hotter. God, what am I thinking?_ Logan observed the environment as Hendricks led in to his announcement. Veronica could tell he was sizing people up. She had seen him do this in high school like a lion estimating the competition. He was preparing himself to take over as king. _No wedding ring._ "So I think we'll have a better chance cracking this case with the help of Special Agent Logan Echolls, who is quickly becoming the most requested profiler in the business." Veronica attempted to prevent the look of shock on her face. Unsuccessfully. _Wait, which case? Crap, why wasn't I listening?_

Six hours later, the entire office was enthralled at the insight Logan offered into the suspect and his patterns and how to go about nailing him to the wall. Veronica was wondering who on earth had switched bodies with Logan Echolls. _I saw Face/Off._ That is, until she realized he had dropped a not on her desk.

_Veronica,_

_We should talk. Dinner's at 7:30. I'll pick you up._

_-LE_

_PS…What do you say we try a cease-fire for a change?_


	3. Just Like Us

_7:45 pm, Veronica's Apartment_

"Sorry I'm late. The GPS in my Rover sucks."

"How do you know where I live?" Veronica challenged. She took a moment to judge her outfit against his. He'd gone more casual _HOT _with a burgundy button up, sleeves rolled up to the elbows. The top 3 buttons were undone so she could see his black tee underneath. She could guarantee the jeans he wore must have cost him a pretty penny. _Money well spent. Damnit,Veronica. You are MAD. But he looks amazing. Strike that. You are Amazingly pissed at him right now._ She hadn't changed out of her work clothes, unsure of what sort of evening to plan for.

"FBI." Logan pointed at himself not taking his eyes off Veronica.

"I haven't changed after work yet. I'll be right out." She rushed down the hallway to her room and stared at the four outfits laying on her bed. She settled on her comfy, but still sexy boyfriend cut jeans and the teal henley that she thought might be a little too casual, but as Seth reminded her last time she wore it, it made her look edible and caused her blue eyes to sparkle more intensely than usual. She pulled her hair down and fluffed it up a bit. Relieved that she had already spent the last half an hour perfecting her make up, she gave herself a quick glance in the mirror. She looked good. With a splash of perfume, she returned to the living room.

As she moved quickly to her bedroom, Logan watched in amusement. She had obviously waited to change until she knew what he was wearing. After a brief pause, he took in the space around him. _So, this is where Veronica Mars lives now._ He walked over to look at the pictures on her wall. He smiled at the faces of Keith Mars, Wallace Fennell, and Parker Lee at the wedding reception for Mac and Dick Casablancas, which was next to a picture of Veronica, Mac and Dick. He had wanted to be at the wedding, but little did the guests know, he and Mac had worked it out so that he watched via webcam from New York.

The frame next to the wedding pictures housed pictures of the famed Fab Four. Logan remembered that night on the beach fondly. And then he noticed that next to it was a picture of he and Veronica. They were so happy in the picture, emotion bubbled in his throat. It was from high school, he thought. He didn't recognize the picture and wondered who had taken it. Her apartment looked similar to her old apartment in Neptune, only slightly more feminine and a touch less home-y.

When he sat on the couch a wave of sorrow washed over him. The room smelled of Veronica. He rested his elbows on his knees and buried his face in his hands. The upcoming conversation terrified him. How could he explain three years without contact? How could he tell her it just hurt too much to see her and not be with her? How could he make her not hate him? He knew he'd have to lay it all out on the line. All of it. But was he ready?

When she walked out and saw his head resting on his hands, she had to physically restrain herself from rushing over to comfort him. "Long day?" She asked. He bolted upright.

"Wow." Veronica was hotter than ever. _Oh my God. Did I really just say that 'wow' out loud?!_ "Oh you know me. A day full of lectures and letting people gawk at me is my idea of a super fun day!" He recovered.

"What the hell, Logan?!" She demanded. It was better to rush into the fight than to concentrate on the fact that she had stunned him with her outfit.

"Well, judging from the fact that you haven't screamed at me or hit me, you definitely must have known that I wasn't dead. I assume you tracked me as best as you could from grilling your dad? Anyway. Well, I promised myself _And a bunch of Clinical Psychologist Coworkers_ that I was going to be completely honest with you when we finally had this conversation, so here goes. I couldn't handle being near you and not being with you. It was killing me, Veronica. So, I took off." He flinched as she crossed her arms over her chest in her getting ready to attack pose. "I couldn't say goodbye to you and I'm really sorry about that." Veronica sighed heavily.

"Where am I supposed to go with that, Logan? Three YEARS and not so much as a word from you. Do you have ANY idea what it was like for me to go to your house and discover that a new family lived there?! And as if that wasn't bad enough, I figure out that my best friends and even my FATHER all knew you were gone and had all gotten the opportunity to say their goodbyes!!" An unfamiliar sensation washed over Veronica as tears welled up in her eyes. She hadn't cried in two and a half years, but Logan shows up and it's only a matter of minutes. "Damnit!" She flopped down onto the couch as far away from him as she could get and balled up her fists, willing her eyes not to betray her. She pulled her knees tightly to her chest. Logan watched nervously.

"I was scared," He said softly.

"Scared? Of what?" She stared at her knees, too afraid to look up at him.

"It's not something I'm proud of. But…" He faltered. This admission was exactly what his mentors challenged him to do. She looked up as he paused, then unable to turn away. "I couldn't say goodbye. Not to you. What if- What if you were happy to see me go?" He rushed through the words as if they would hurt less. He leaned his elbows onto his knees again, his head drooping.

"Are you kidding me? Man, I really was a bitch to you if that's what you thought," she realized aloud.

"No. It was me. I was such an ass. Running around trying to prevent anything from happening to you, which of course completely stifled everything I love about you. And I'd get insanely jealous of anyone who even looked in your direction, but I'd get totally pissed off if even a hint of jealousy came from your side. I was so messed up. I couldn't be a good boyfriend. I wrapped myself up in you to try to forget about my problems. I was so God-damned damaged." Veronica watched him in silence as he opened up the old wounds. "That's actually part of why I dove head first into Psychology. I was trying desperately to understand why I always hurt you when all I've ever wanted was to be with you."

Logan's confession was interrupted by Veronica's cell phone, which rang and buzzed loudly on the coffee table. She grabbed it instinctively and glanced at the caller ID. "Hold that thought. It's the office. Yeah?" Veronica's eyes almost immediately rolled in annoyance and she started to rub her temples with her thumb and forefinger. Logan silently hoped she would never have that look on her face when he called. _If she will let me call he after this._

"Why did you call from the office?…Well, I don't feel like talking right now…What are you doing going through my desk?!…This conversation is over." Veronica slammed her cell phone closed and dropped it onto the coffee table with a growl.

"Seth?" Logan asked, trying to mask the wavering tone.

"Why would you say that?"

"Because the LA Field Office seems to have nothing better to do than gossip like school girls while eating lunch," he sniped. "And after your performance this morning, everyone thought I'd be THRILLED to hear all about the Seth-Onica Saga."

"Oh God. Did you just say Seth-Onica?! Because I think I might need to go vomit." Veronica paled.

"Oh yeah," Logan chastised. "And trust me. Logan Echolls loves NOTHING more than to hear about the sexual exploits of Veronica Mars and some sadistic neophyte hell bent on one-upmanship in order to compensate for his deficiencies." After a moment, Veronica realized her mouth was hanging open in surprise and she closed it. _Was that Jealous Logan coming out of his shell? Was that clinical speak for 'He better stay the hell away from My Veronica'? That was one of the hottest sentences he has ever put together. No. No. NO. Logan left me alone and miserable._ After a brief pause, he broke the silence. "Not only is he not worth your time, if I ever again hear him treat you like he just did on the phone, trust me, he'll regret it."

Veronica couldn't decide if she was turned off or on by that declaration. "No offense, but how is that your business?"

"Like it or not, Veronica, you're one of the most important people in my life and I won't tolerate any assholes walking all over you like that. And that's exactly how I am with Mac and Trina, too."

_So help me the butterflies are playing dodgeball in my stomach. Swoon. _"Well, I'm capable of handling him myself, but thanks."

"Your phone conversation indicates otherwise."

"I didn't want to get into it with him while I'm here with you. I'll have time to deal with him later. Not that the conversation will be anything more than, 'Hey Seth, you're an ass. Have a nice life'. Can you believe he stood me up after begging me for a week to have coffee with him so we could get things on the right track?"

"A guy stood Veronica Mars up? What has the world come to?" Logan teased.

"I know, right? I mean, I'm like a total catch. Who wouldn't want an emotionally-stunted, trouble-causing, tragedy magnet like me?"

"I can honestly say, I have no idea. Of course, I'm the president of the 'Guys Who Have Absolutely No Hope Of Ever Being Rid Of Their Insatiable Love For Veronica Mars' Club. And I'm telling you, right now we are so full, we have a waiting list to get on the waiting list." He braided the truth with humor, carefully.

"Y'know, I haven't been at any of those meetings in a while. I'm really kind of missing them. I mean, guys throwing punches in girls' bathrooms, and people attempting to buy my favor with limousines and hotel suites. Speaking of which, have you been back to Neptune lately?"

"A couple weeks ago."

"Which explains why my dad mentioned seeing you, then retracted. So, is it still Neptune-y?"

"Yeah, except the newest Mrs. Casablancas seems to be making waves with the old money types. We went to the Neptune Country Club for brunch just so she could walk in with blue streaks in her hair. Plus, I think it's hysterical to see how in line she keeps Dick." Logan smiled at the thought.

"I've noticed she's come a lot farther out of her shell than she used to be. Who would've ever thought that Mac and Dick would make the most complementary couple I've ever met. Everyone was bummed you couldn't make it to the wedding. Especially Dick."

"Yeah, I was on a major case up in New York. It was this huge child sex slave ring. The week of the wedding we had finally found some new clues and I was so, well, I just had to get those kids out." Logan's eyes clouded with pain.

"I can't believe you work for the FBI. I always pictured you going into something more, I don't know, more creative."

"Acting?"

"No. Actually, I kind of always pictured you going into writing. Like the next Jack Kerouac or something. You write some of the best letters I've ever read and you love those quotes."

"I actually thought about getting out after that New York case. It was like having to live inside the minds of the darkest, most disgusting people ever. I had to take a vacation after that. Which is when I ended up in Neptune."

"Logan?"

"Hmm?"

"It's 8:45."

"That it is." He said, standing up. "Let's go get you some food." He offered her his hand to help her up off the couch and she graciously accepted. The electricity from their first skin to skin contact sent shivers down her spine.


	4. Dinner Time

"Italian?" Veronica said with a large grin as they were seated at their table.

"I must admit, I have an unfair advantage on this first date."

"Is this a date?"

"Has it been so long since someone took you on a date that you don't recognize one, Mars?"

"Aww. Now, there's that fabulous Logan snarkiness I've been missing!"

"So, you admit you missed me?" He raised an eyebrow. Veronica eyed him, carefully calculating her next sentence.

"What I meant was, do you consider this a date and not just two friends catching up over dinner?"

"Veronica," Logan reached across the table and grabbed her hand, running his thumb over her knuckles, gently. She met his intense stare with trepidation and excitement. "I can see in your eyes that you feel it too."

"What are you talking about?" _Oh, God, the sparks. Why the sparks? I can't do this again. Oh, please don't let go._

"The best I can describe it? Sparks." He admitted. _Did he just say SPARKS? _"And that's just from holding your hand." He quickly let go and began playing with the candleholder. "So, what are you gonna get? Fettuccine Alfredo?"

"That, or…"

"Lasagna?" He asked with a grin. She just nodded her head sheepishly. "Good."

"Why good?"

"'Cause that's what I ordered for you when I called ahead." Just as he said that, a gentleman in a black apron placed her plate in front of her, then placed Logan's Chicken Parmesan in front of him. "Thanks, Louie." The man smiled and walked away.

"Wait, when did you call ahead?"

"Before I got to your place."

"But, we were talking forever. How is the food not cold?"

"I texted him while you were getting your coat."

"Logan, you texted the waiter?"

"No, I texted Louie, the chef slash part-owner." He watched her as a curious expression grew on her face. _God I love when she crinkles her forehead like that._ "Whom I have known since I was a kid. This was my mom's favorite restaurant. We came here a lot before we moved to Neptune."

"Why did you say Fettuccine?"

"Veronica, eat up! You don't want it to get cold, and I want Louie to be able to go home sometime tonight."

"He's not staying open late just for us, is he?"

"Let me have SOME mystery, Detective Mars." He took a large bite and watched her as she could no longer resist the lasagna in front of her.

"That might be the best lasagna I've ever had." She sighed as she stared at her empty plate.

"I'm glad you like it."

"How was your chicken?"

"Perfection, as usual." He said calmly. "My compliments to the Chef." He added so that Louie could hear him.

"You got it, boss!" Louie chuckled. "Dessert?"

"Please!" Logan smiled illusively.

"Dessert too? You're just pulling out all the stops tonight, aren't you?" Veronica half teased. When Louie placed a giant dish in front of them and cleared away their dinner plates, Veronica's jaw dropped. "Waffles and Ice Cream?!" She gazed at Logan in utter amazement.

"One of the top sellers here, actually."

"Logan…" She couldn't quite catch her breath, or come up with rational thought.

"It's named after you. We call it 'Earth to Mars Waffles'."

"We?"

"The ice cream's melting." He dug into the dessert with his spoon. She quickly followed suit.

"What do you mean 'We'?" Veronica questioned, mouth full of waffle. "And why'd he call you boss? And GOD, this is SOO good."

"I kind of own half of this place."

"Kind of?" She stated incredulously. "How does one kind of own half of a restaurant?"

"I'm just the money. Well, and I helped with some of the menu choices a little."

"You named a dessert after me?"

"Well, you introduced me to the dessert, so it was only fair."

"Are any of the dishes named after Madison?" _Why in GOD'S NAME DID I JUST SAY THAT?! I am such a bitch sometimes. God, Veronica, WAY TO LET IT GO, ALREADY. Idiot. Idiot. Idiot._

Logan looked visibly affronted for a moment, then let it pass. "No." He said shortly. "Though, I did for a moment consider naming it 'Fruits de la Sinclair'." He admitted and crossed his arms over his chest in challenge.

Her eyes widened a bit as she thought about what he said. Then she put her hands over her face as she got it and she succumbed to giggling. _Am I really giggling like a schoolgirl?_ "Fruits de la Mer." She smiled. "You're allergic to Shellfish." He nodded and smiled when he realized she'd gotten his meaning and at the thought that she remembered something so personal about him. "See, you're not the only one who remembers." She smiled fondly.

"I hoped as much."

"I'm still mad at you. You left me." She attempted to regain her former angry ex-girlfriend mojo.

"And here we are on and amazingly romantic date. How's my apology going so far?"

"It's a start, I suppose." She stated, coyly. _If I were standing right now, I'd be a pool of goo on the floor._

"Then, I'd better step up and start using my A game." _Man, she is so beautiful. It's like I can't even remember my name when I look in her eyes. How in the world can I step up my game?_ "Hey, Louie! We're gonna get going. Thanks for waiting!" Logan stood up and bowed to Veronica. "Milady." He offered his hand to help her up. She took it reluctantly. Instead of entwining their fingers like he used to, he tucked her hand into the crook of his arm. She could feel his muscles through his sleeve and she flushed a bit. He led her into the kitchen and through the back door. She gasped as she realized they were overlooking the ocean. He walked her down a winding flight of wooden stairs and when they reached the bottom, he paused.

"You won't be able to walk in those." She fumbled as she realized he meant for her to take off her heels. Once the shoes were off, she shrank by three inches. "That's more like it" _Did I just say that out loud? I'm such a spaz. Pull it together, Logan._ He grabbed her heels out of her left hand and led her down the beach for about five minutes before he stopped. "My mom brought me here." He stopped suddenly. _Why in the hell did I bring her here? What am I doing? How is it possible that I am still choked up about this?_

Veronica looked up at him and saw the tears glistening in his eyes. She let go of his arm and wrapped her arms around his waist. "Logan."

"She brought me here after the first time he hit me." He interrupted her attempt at soothing him. Veronica's hand moved involuntarily to cover her mouth in sorrow, surprise, and disgust. Tears now pooled in her eyes as well. He continued, "She said, 'Baby, you will always be safe here'." He wiped the tears away from his face. "Six weeks later we moved to Neptune."

Veronica wrapped her arms tightly around him and this time, he hugged back. He lowered his head to rest it on top of hers, taking in the smell of her shampoo. "You're the only one I've ever told this to." He realized as he spoke into her hair. "The only person I've ever brought here."

"Why me, Logan?" She mumbled into his chest.

"Because being with you is like being back here. When I'm with you, I feel safe."

Her tears streamed down her face now. She moved to look up at him. "Me too." She admitted more freely than she anticipated. She grabbed the sides of his face and pulled it down to hers with urgency. Her light kiss on his lips was like the seal breaking on the dam. They kissed furiously, and he wiped at her tears when he didn't have his hands wrapped in her hair. His tongue eagerly explored the inside of her mouth until they could no longer breathe and pushed apart slightly to gasp.

"What are we doing?" She exclaimed, her arms wrapped tightly around his neck.

"What we do best?" Logan offered as he tenderly twisted her hair in his fingers. She sighed with a smile.

"If hand holding was sparks, that was definitely fireworks." She seceded. He nodded and pulled her back into a kiss.


	5. Meanwhile Back In Neptune

A/N: Thanks so much for all of the great reviews I've been getting. You guys rock! Neptune finally shows up in this chapter. More coming soon, I promise. And more FBI-ness as soon as I get out of the exposition junk.

* * *

"Mac?"

"Hmm?" She asked, absent-mindedly fiddling with her straw.

"Don't take this the wrong way or anything, but you look terrible. What's up?"

"What?" She asked, looking up from her soda. She saw the concern and annoyance in his face. "Sorry Wallace. What were you saying?"

"Seriously, Mac. What's going on with you?"

"Things are a little, uh, tense at home right now."

"Trouble in newlywed paradise?" Wallace teased, not actually believing it could be possible that Mac and Dick, the ridiculously happy couple, could possibly have any troubles.

""Dick's mom and step-dad were in a really bad car accident up in LA. His step-dad, he didn't make it. His mom is in a coma, and she's, well, they're not sure if she's gonna make it."

"Oh man. I'm so sorry!" Wallace sputtered.

"That's not even the bad part. I mean, Dick's pretty upset about his mom, though of course he won't admit it, but he didn't really know his step dad. It's the kids that are the problem."

"The kids?"

"Dick's half-brother and half-sister. Unless Dick's mom pulls out of it, we might become their legal guardians."

"Wait, did you say legal guardians?"

"Yeah, we've been married for a year and suddenly we might have a fourteen year old boy and an eleven year old girl to take care of." She said sadly.

"Wow." Wallace couldn't find an appropriate sentence for such heavy information. I thought they lived up in Northern California."

"They moved to LA about six months ago. Anyway. Dick's basically a mess right now. And I'm just, I don't know how to make it better."

"God, Mac. I'm so sorry." He attempted. "If you guys need anything, let me know."

"Thanks. But I think the best thing for me right now is to talk about something else. Anything else. How's Travis Aeronautical?

"Work's busy. We're about to unveil a new prototype next month, so I'm pretty much stressed."

Mac's cell phone rang and she sighed as she recognized Dick's ringtone. "It's Dick. I should take it."

"Of course! Go ahead!" Wallace gestured with his left hand as he pulled out his own cell phone to check his messages. He only had one missed call from Keith Mars. Wallace made a quick judgement and pressed the call button. "Hey Mr. Mars!"

"Hey, Wallace. And you know you can call me Keith. Thanks for calling me back. I was just wondering what you're doing Sunday evening."

"Other than working long miserable hours, not much. Why? What's up?"

"I invited Veronica to come down and have dinner. I was thinking you might like to join us."

"Veronica's coming down?" Wallace asked while trying to mask his disbelief with excitement. Or at least he hoped Keith would hear it that way.

"Yeah. She promised she'd come home to visit her lonely old man." Keith answered. He knew Wallace doubted Veronica would be there. After all, the last four dinners had been himself, Wallace, and Mac. They were becoming quite the little trio. "I used extra guilt this time."

"Mac's here with me. You want me to invite her and Dick, too?"

"Please do. See you Sunday, Wallace."

"See you, Sunday!" Wallace hung up his cell phone and saw that Mac was still having a hushed conversation, so he opened the phone again. This time he just pressed his number one speed dial. He shook his head at the familiar voicemail message. "V. Your dad invited a bunch of us over Sunday night with the promise that you'll actually show for a change. As your supposed BFF, I'm telling you in all seriousness that you need to actually follow through on this. Things aren't going so great down here and it's about time you actually show for one of our dinners. You've missed the **last four**. Miss this one and your Superfly status is permanently revoked. Oh, and it'd also be nice if you actually call me back. Miss ya." He closed his cell phone.

"Another dinner?" Mac clarified. She had finished her call.

"You guys are invited, of course." He stated. "But I totally understand if you're otherwise occupied."

"I overheard you and Mr. Mars. I think I convinced Dick that we could use a little distraction. Might as well join in the fun." She added with a hint of sarcasm. "Hold on a second." She opened her cell phone and dialed number two on her speed dial. "Veronica, you need to be at dinner, Sunday. If not for Wallace and your dad, then to hear my big news. See you there."

"Think she'll show?" Wallace questioned.

"I hope so. I think Neptune has had a severe lack of Veronica Mars lately.

* * *

"Veronica, your pocket keeps vibrating." Logan grinned as he rested his forehead against hers. His hands rested on her hips, holding her close to him.

"Yeah, I've been a little too occupied to answer my phone." She ran her hands down his chest.

"By all means, check your phone. It seems like someone really wants to get a hold of you."

"You just want to know if it's Seth." She quipped as she pulled the phone out of her pocket to see three missed calls. "Hmm." She frowned.

"What is it?"

"Dad, Wallace, and Mac all left messages in the last five minutes. Something might be wrong. Do you mind?"

"I'd mind if you didn't check them." He admitted honestly. "If something's wrong…" He didn't finish the thought as worry started to creep into his mind. As she listened to each message, her face fell just a little bit more. It was an expression Logan recognized but couldn't quite place. When she hung up, she put the phone back in her pocket and grimaced. "Is everything okay?" He rubbed his hands up and down her arms comfortingly.

"I basically just got told I am a terrible daughter and friend three times in a row." She sighed.

"Did you flake on another dinner?" He asked. She stared at him in slight embarrassment, and slight anger. "I was there when you got stuck on a case and didn't make it a couple weeks ago. Well, I was hanging out with Dick that night. He mentioned Mac was at dinner with Wallace and your dad. Actually, that probably would have been when you found out I was alive instead of that surprise at work today."

"I really was stuck on a case!" She grumbled and broke away from him. She turned to look out across the ocean. He blanched at the loss of her touch, moved behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist from behind.

"I'm sorry. I really didn't mean it like that." He spoke softly but steadily into her neck. "Veronica, I'm fully aware of what the FBI expects of its agents. And having social engagements is definitely not one of those expectations." She rested the back of her head on his chest.

"Yeah, but how do I explain that to my dad and my two best friends?"

"Want me to call them?" He offered.

"That'd go over really well. 'Sorry Veronica didn't answer just now, she and I were busy making out on the beach. By the way, The FBI takes up a lot of her time and she hasn't made the dinners because she's been on some undercover jobs. Now if you'll excuse me, I've gotta get back to making out with her'."

"Yeah, why not? You don't think that'd do the trick?"

"They're just calling to guilt me into making dinner this Sunday. I haven't actually flaked this time. They just expect me to."

"I see, so what's this about going back to making out?" He whispered in her ear and she laughed lightly.

"Actually, I was thinking it's getting kind of late. And it's cold out here and you don't have a jacket, and mine isn't really helping much."

_Please, please, PLEASE don't say you want me to take you home. Ask me back to your place or ask to see mine. Anything but take me home. Don't say take me home._

"Want to go get some coffee?"

"Sure. I'm sure we can find a Starbucks or nine or ten." He joked.

"Oh, I meant, it's just." She faltered. "I have a really good coffee maker that makes way better coffee than that junk you get at Starbucks. And, as an added benefit, I have Irish Cream and Peppermint Schnapps to accompany said coffee."

_Oh thank God. _"Veronica, are you inviting me back to your place?" He raised his eyebrows and snuggled closer to her and nuzzled his mouth into her neck.

She smiled and nodded back at him. He immediately let go of her and looked around at the sand. He grabbed her shoes when he'd spotted them, then grabbed her hand and ran back toward the stairs. She laughed openly as she was practically dragged across the beach.

"What's with the rush?" She asked as he helped her put her heels back on when they reached the stairs.

"I'm not giving you time to change your mind."


	6. After Dinner Mint

A/N: This chapter has some mildly worse language than the past. Just a warning.

* * *

The drive back to her place took about twenty minutes, though instead of the nervous chitchat they made on the way to the restaurant, their conversation turned to a light-hearted trip down memory lane.

"I know you liked the soccer uniform, but there was a long time between us being twelve and the kiss at The Camelot. Did you ever think about me as more than Lilly's BFF?"

"Other than that soccer phase, there were many times."

"What?" She turned to see if he was being honest. "When?"

"I remember we were at the beach one time. Lilly was totally strutting around because she'd gotten that yellow polka dot bikini."

"Oh my gosh! I forgot about that day! She kept playing that song on the way there. She had just gotten her license, I think." Veronica laughed, happily at the thought.

"Well, while the entire beach was watching Lilly in her itsy-bitsyness, I saw you looking at Lilly. At the time I couldn't figure out what your expression meant. Now thinking back on it, I think it was your annoyed look."

"Oh yeah. There's a story there. But, please, go on."

"Then, you got this determined look on your face. You just pulled your shorts and tee shirt off and threw them on the towels." Logan took in a sharp breath and let it out slowly. "You looked at Duncan, who was busy trying to pull Lilly away from some college guys. Then you looked at me with this pitiful puppy dog pout and you said 'Looks like we've been ditched, Echolls. Wanna swim?'."

Veronica nodded at the memory. "I remember that. You had a nasty scowl on your face while you were watching Lil."

"Well, it was only half because of Lilly."

"What do you mean?"

"You were wearing this red bikini. Damn, Mars. I was trying to figure out how to hide what looking at you had done to me."

She looked confused for a split second before the realization set in. Then her cheeks became a crimson shade and she stuttered. "No way!"

"Yes, Veronica. That's why I love when you wear red. It reminds me of that day at the beach." He licked his lips at the thought. "You said there was a story about you being annoyed."

"Well, Logan, it might actually mess with your memory of that day." She started. "The red bikini wasn't mine. It was one of Lilly's old ones. When I got to her house that day, she took one look at my suit and demanded I give it to her."

"What do you mean?"

"It was itsy-bitsy on her because it was **MY** yellow polka dot bikini." She groused. "My mom helped me pick it out and I loved that thing! Then Lilly took it and effectively stole my thunder. The whole beach was watching her."

"Not the whole beach. Like I said, **I** was looking at **You**."

"You're just saying that." She reached over and shoved him lightly.

"No. You in that bikini is pretty much permanently engrained in my memory. But you wanted to hear about more than one time, so I'll oblige. Do you remember that time at the Kane Mansion when we were playing Twister and you and I were the only ones left?"

"The wife beater and jeans."

"What?"

"You were wearing a black wife beater and jeans." She sighed.

"Is that some kind of chick thing? Remembering what everyone wore?"

"Hello pot, meet kettle. You just said you remembered what Lilly and I were wearing at the beach! Besides. I remember what you were wearing because you looked unbelievably hot and we were playing Twister, so you were so close to me. I guess, I'll just say, I was having less than pure thoughts about you while I was staring up at you."

"That's good to know. Well, when Lilly walked back in from getting a soda, she said something really loud. She did it because she could tell from the look on my face."

"She could tell what?"

"That I was about ten seconds away from kissing you. Kanes be damned. You looked so hot with those pigtails and it was before you and Duncan had gotten together. I knew Lilly was after me, and we'd made out a couple times, but we weren't serious or anything. But, she definitely put an end to me going after you after that."

"We're here."

"That we are." Logan parked the Range Rover and glanced at the backseat quickly before jumping out to rush around and help Veronica out of the car. Once inside, Veronica immediately started the coffee maker and pulled the alcohol off of the top of her fridge. As she moved about the kitchen, Logan looked around her living room again for a moment trying to think about anything else. _God, I want to kiss her. God, I love that girl. Damnit. Work. Work. Think about work. I'm supposed to be going over the files. She is so hot. God, I love that girl._ In the kitchen, Veronica was keeping herself busy. _What am I doing? Why did I bring him here?! I swear, I'm still mad because he abandoned me. But then again, he's Logan. He is so damn gorgeous. And the worst part is, he makes me feel…so whole again. Think about something else, Veronica. Like, like, God I want to kiss him. Shit._

"Need any help?" He finally gave up on keeping his distance and stood by the kitchen counter.

"Um, not really." She said as she was reaching up to get some mugs from a high shelf. She was standing on her tiptoes, her fingers barely touching the mugs.

"Here, let me." He said as he stood behind her and pulled the mugs down over her shoulder. She relaxed a little and as she did, she bumped backwards into Logan. It sent shock waves through both of them. He backed away quickly breathing deeply. She moved on to pour the coffee into the mugs.

"Irish Cream or Peppermint Schnapps?" She asked.

"It's cool outside, so Peppermint, I think."

"Good choice. That's what I'm having and the Irish Cream hasn't been opened yet." She poured heaping amounts of the alcohol into each cup and carried them into the living room. She handed Logan a mug, and he promptly placed it onto a coaster on the table. She did the same.

"I like your place." He stated. "It's very…you."

"Thanks. Did you look at my pictures?" She pointed at the pictures he'd been looking at earlier that evening.

"Yeah. When was that one of us taken? I don't remember it."

"Oh yeah. Actually I got that from Casey Gant."

"What?!"

"I ran into Casey about a year ago and we were chatting. He mentioned he had a picture of us that he'd taken the night of your un-birthday party. I think this is from right before we left the party. A couple days later, he had mailed the picture to me."

"That was awfully nice of him. What was the catch?"

"Well, he owed me one for a job I did for him. So, it wasn't entirely charity. I can't decide if the picture makes me happy or sad."

"Both." He decided out loud. "Happy that we were ever so happy. Sad that we didn't figure out a way to stay that way."

"Exactly." She accepted and she sat down on the couch. He sat too, about a foot away from her. She looked up into his eyes. "Oh fuck it." She sighed.

"What? Veronica did you just say fuck it?" He chuckled. "Fuck what?"

"My resolve." She shrugged her shoulders. She leapt across the couch and straddled his lap as she attacked him with kisses. He immediately pulled her as close to him as he could and kissed back forcefully. He ran his hands over any and every part of her body he could easily reach. Her nimble fingers immediately began unbuttoning his maroon button-down shirt and she enlisted his help to pull it off of him so she could run her hands under his black tee shirt, across his chest and around to his back. Then he urgently pulled her jacket off of her and moved his hands over her shirt with abandon. He then began to kiss her neck, which caused her to run her fingers hungrily through his hair. They both moaned slightly and Logan pulled away from her neck so that he could kiss her as deeply as he could. At that moment, both had the same thought. _Here we go again._

_to be continued..._


	7. Good Morning, Sunshine

_A/N: Sorry It's been taking so long to get new stuff up, holidays and all. Well, Merry (or Happy, if that's how it's said where you're from) Christmas! PS...any characters not created by the AMAZING Veronica Mars team, were created by me...so, feel free to hate them or love them._

_

* * *

_

_Present Time_

"Logan?" Veronica asked as he drove them away from the Hotel. She was smiling happily after what she honestly thought was the best breakfast she'd ever had.

"Hmm?" He mumbled, not taking his eyes off of the road.

"What's up?"

"What do you mean?"

"You've been looking in the mirrors non-stop for the last five minutes and you just stopped talking mid-sentence. Are you afraid we're going to be seen or something?"

"Actually, I'm thinking a non-descript black SUV is following us."

"What?" She repositioned herself to get a better look in the passenger side mirror. "How long?"

"I'm not sure. At least since the hotel. I've been doubling back on myself for about five minutes, so I'm positive he's tailing us. The thing is, I think that's the car I saw across the street from your place this morning. Which, well, let's just say it's disconcerting. And now I'm trying to figure out if they were there last night when we got back. But I don't remember. It was pretty dark and I was a bit pre-occupied."

_Flashback to Last Night._

"Okay, so I get the Psychology and Sociology stuff, after seeing how much fun you had with Wallace and that prisoner/guard experiment. And, I get you owning a restaurant. But why the FBI, Logan? Were you trying to run into me? Keeping tabs on me or something?"

"No. I didn't want the FBI. They wanted me." He stated simply. "One of my mentors, who was also my graduate advisor, Dr. William Speary." He paused, then chuckled at himself. "I'm really a dork if I expect people to hear Speary's name and get excited. Basically, he's an internationally renowned clinical psychologist." Veronica nodded in understanding, but smiled because she had no idea who he was talking about. "Anyway, he was working with the FBI on a case as a favor for a friend. They were stumped, I asked what was bothering him, and the next thing I know, I had fingered the perp."

"So, you cracked a case the FBI was stumped on while you were a grad student? I be that ticked off the lead on the investigation." Veronica grinned at him.

"Well, I think it might have, but he was so impressed, he came to meet me to see if I could do it again and the next thing I knew, I was being courted by the FBI. And by courted, I mean they offered me a ridiculous amount of money and a hell of a benefits package and basically told me I could make my own hours and pick my own cases."

"Cracking cases before you're even in the FBI? I really did rub off on you a little, huh?"

"I think maybe just a little." Logan smirked. "Okay, my turn to run a line of questioning on you." He put his finger and thumb on his chin mimicking deep thought. "Why in God's name would you go for a guy like Seth?!"

Veronica sighed heavily. "Do you realize we've been playing this game for an hour and a half?"

"Not your turn for a question, Agent Mars. You know the rules."

"Okay, well, in line with our ridiculous rules of honestly answering…"

"Now it's ridiculous, but you liked the rule an hour ago." He tapped her nose with his forefinger.

"He was there. We were drunk one night after a long day at Academy. And I think I was kind of missing the attention. I mean, guys used to fight over me in high school and college."

"I think I might have been the common denominator in ALL of those fights, Veronica."

"Well, yeah, but that's not the point. What I'm saying is, until Piz and I broke up, I was pretty much constantly in one relationship or another. Then, as I think you are aware, I was single for the rest of college. I think it was good for me, because I did a lot of growing up and figuring out how to just be me, y'know?" He nodded, and she could see he was very interested in this subject. "But, then I got to a point after graduation where no one was fighting for me anymore and in a weak moment, I succumbed to the first guy who offered." Veronica frowned at this point. "I dropped him at the end of Academy, thinking I was rid of him because he got assigned to Miami. Then he showed up in LA."

"And you took him right back?" Logan grimaced.

"No. Apparently he was really hurt by the breakup, so he made my life pretty miserable at first. Swore he was over it, but he would mess with me. Like, not inviting me to important meetings with Hendricks and giving me false info about where I was supposed to report."

"And because you're attracted to guys who treat you like crap, you thought taking him back would be a good idea?" He scoffed.

"No. I told him to knock that shit off. Then he decided to convince me he had changed. One night we randomly hooked up at a pub. After that night he's been telling me he wants me back, but curiously those admissions usually only happen when he wants some. This morning was his last chance to make any sort of grand gesture or whatever, and he failed miserably."

Logan furrowed his brow. This information had obviously taken a toll on him and she could see the frustration in his eyes. "Okay, I think we've played this game out. And, it's almost three a.m. Aren't you tired?" He questioned.

"I can't believe I'm not already asleep. I'm usually out like a light at eleven. But, I'm glad tomorrow's Saturday." She smiled and snuggled into his chest. He lazily ran his fingers up and down the smooth skin on her back.

"You know, I have a meeting tomorrow at three, but, other than that, I'm totally free."

"I don't have to go in tomorrow, thankfully. It's been a long week. That said, though, I'm not that tired." She looked up at him and ran her delicate fingers across his abs playfully.

"Veronica, it's okay to go to sleep. I'll still be here in the morning." He spoke softly into her hair. "I already have plans for our breakfast." She smiled as he answered her unasked questions.

"But, Logan? All this interrogating while lying here naked in bed really makes me want to have sex." Her eyes sparkled as she said it. _Oh my God. When did I become so forward? Did I really just say that?_ She buried her face into his shoulder.

"Are you trying to seduce me, Veronica Mars? Again? Because, that's like twice in one night."

"Is it working?"

"Do you even have to ask?" He quickly shifted his position so that he was hovering over her, his weight entirely on his hands on either side of her. Her eyes traveled across his shoulders and up to his mischievous eyes. Then he collapsed on top of her and attacked her neck with his mouth. Her immediate giggles of surprise turned quickly to passionate mumbling and she dug her fingers into his back uncontrollably.

**

* * *

**

"Veronica lazily opened her eyes as she felt the warmth of the sun glowing in her room. She smiled as she enjoyed a moment of alone time, while staring at the ceiling. She became aware of his arm lying across her stomach and grabbed his hand, intertwining their fingers. She closed her eyes and sighed. "I really hope this hand belongs to Logan, because if I ended up in bed with another random guy, I'm going to start thinking those slut rumors from high school were true."

"How many random guys have you woken up next to?" Logan turned to her with an arched eyebrow. She opened her eyes and bit her bottom lip happily.

"You ARE Logan!" She cooed, threw her arms around him, and nestled into his neck.

"Mmmh. That feels so good." He sighed. "Morning."

"Good morning." She spoke into his neck, eliciting chills down his spine.

"Now that you're finally awake, I'll be right back. I gotta run out to my car." He kissed her forehead and sat up, grabbing at his clothes on the floor. He quickly jumped into his boxers, jeans and the black tee shirt and went out to the living room. He grabbed his cell phone and keys off of the coffee table, grinning at the full cups of coffee and liquor that they'd never touched, and walked out of her apartment. He began text messaging quickly as he walked up to his Range Rover, where he pulled a duffel bag out of the back seat. _Thank GOD I needed this bag._ He glanced around her neighborhood with a smile. It was quaint and the neighbors were suburban at best description. One even sat in his car enjoying a donut and coffee before he headed off to start his day. Logan locked the Rover and went back into her apartment where he could hear the shower running. _Oh how I want to join her right now. But if I do, there'll be no leaving this place._ The thought put a large smile on his face.

Thirty minutes later, they were leaving the apartment holding hands. "That's my sweatshirt, Veronica." He whispered in her ear as she locked the front door. She looked down at the faded green hooded sweatshirt she was wearing and then over to Logan.

"Possession is nine-tenths of the law." She raised one eyebrow. "And I've possessed this sweatshirt since we were in high school. I'm not about to give it back now."

"Which means, I just have to get you out of it to get it back."

"Good luck with that." Veronica turned and ran from her porch, down the street with Logan following closely behind. They laughed as he pretended to get his sweatshirt back. He eventually picked her up from behind so she couldn't keep running.

"Come one, let's go have breakfast." He put her back down, making sure to slap her ass gently. "We have a reservation to make."

"What? Where?"

"The Wilshire Grand. They have a great champagne brunch."

"Logan, we're not dressed to eat at the Wilshire Grand. We're both in jeans and sweatshirts!"

"Yeah, I'm an Echolls, remember? I get special privileges."

"Ah, yes. Restaurant privileges. I've missed those."

"Good to know you're just using me for my fame."

"Don't underestimate yourself, Echolls. I'm here for your money and good looks too."

"Stop it, you're making me blush!" He kidded.


	8. Anger, Lies, and Jealousy

A/N: This chapter's a bit longer than the rest. I just couldn't bring myself to break it up anywhere. A little mild language in this one, too. PS...all characters not created by the VM team, I came up with. And I'm no expert in FBI knowledge, so if some of this doesn't quite mesh, chalk it up to the fact that it's fiction. (

And thank you all SOO much for your feedback! It's been Awesome!!

_

* * *

__The Present_

"What? Why would someone be following us?" Veronica asked as she flipped around to make sure he was correct. The Black SUV was keeping even with them, exactly four cars behind. Standard tailing procedures.

"If it's the vultures, I'm about to lose them. If it's someone else, we'll cross that bridge when we get there. Hold on to something." She knew Logan had never cared for paparazzi and she could still hear the disdain in his voice when he called them vultures. As the son of movie stars, he learned at a young age how to evade prying eyes and that was handy right about now. Logan drove more aggressively now, though, than she'd ever seen. _How does this possibly turn me on? Duh. Because he's so hot._

"Did you learn to drive like this in the FBI or something?"

He smiled at the lilt he heard in her voice. "Impressed with my mad skills?" He joked.

"A little." She admitted. Fifteen minutes later, they were on the 5 heading South. "There's no way they could have followed. Even if they were Bureau. You must have lost them." She attempted to calm his intensity.

"I lost them for about ten minutes, but somehow, they're back. Four cars back on the right." He complained.

"No way!" She declared, looking behind them to see the same SUV.

"Veronica." Logan's voice took on a tense authoritative tone that she wasn't really familiar with. "Open up my cell phone and sweep it for bugs. Then do the same with yours. There's no way they're following blindly."

"Why would someone bug our phones, Logan?" She asked tensely.

"Just do it, Veronica!" He shouted. She was taken aback for a moment by the sheer force behind his charge, but quickly complied. She found nothing in his cell, obviously, then moved on to her own.

"Yours is clean. What the?" She growled as she found the small device in her cell phone. She pulled it out and showed Logan. He held up a finger, indicating for her to be silent. Then he pointed toward the next exit from the freeway, but indicated for her to wait. He flew across four lanes to exit so that he wouldn't give the SUV a chance to follow. Once they'd exited, he pulled up alongside the first open convertible he could find, which was fairly close to the exit. He opened her window from his control panel and motioned for her to toss the device into the car's back seat. She did so fluidly and stealthily so that the driver wouldn't notice. Logan resumed his erratic driving in order to lose the tail completely.

"Take my phone and call Bella. Put it on speaker." He commanded.

She glanced at him, unsure how to receive this new bossy Logan, but once again complied as he was still driving in evasion-mode She moved through his contacts and found Bella quickly, then hit send.

"Hey Sexy, what's up?" A distinctly female voice answered. Veronica remained silent as her eyes clouded over. She turned to stare out the window, bracing herself for the wave of jealousy washing over her. _It's not like we've talked about what we are or anything. It was just one night, right?_

"Kelly Belle, Love of my life. I need a favor." He gushed. Veronica felt her heart jump into her throat as Logan spoke so fondly to this female. _WENCH!_

"Anything for you." She stated sweetly.

"Actually it's big and it's a couple favors. For starters, I think I've been made. We seem to have grown a tail this morning. Agent Mars' phone was bugged. We ditched it and I think I finally lost them, but I don't know if my car has been tagged."

"Are you in the puppy?" She asked seriously.

"Yes." He winced at her ridiculous nickname for his _Manly_ vehicle. "Second, we need an extreme makeover, like immediately."

"Popsicle Stand for two near City of Commerce? Working on it as we speak."

"Thanks. I also need to talk to Decker."

"No can do, Logan. He's in a Do-Not-Disturb meeting with the director."

"Kelly, I need Decker. Now." He stated forcefully. Veronica sat silently, straining to listen and catch every word uttered. _What the Hell is going on?_

"What part of what I said didn't make sense to you?"

"Come on, Sexy Mama." He smiled lightly. "Fine, tell them I wouldn't take no for an answer! This is an emergency." She sighed loudly and they could hear her moving away from her desk.

"I am sooo kicking your ass for this later, Echolls." She knocked on a door and opened it.

"Jefferson! What the hell are you doing in here?" A gruff voice growled.

"Sorry, sir. It's Echolls. He says it's an emergency."

"Echolls, I'm meeting with the director. This is not the time." The gruff voice stated into the phone.

"Deck, I need the go ahead to let Mars in." Logan demanded. Veronica was completely lost at this point.

"NO. And like I said, I'm busy with the director."

"Fine, then put him on the damn phone so I can get the go ahead from over your head." Logan yelled.

"Is there a problem here?" A calmer male voice questioned.

"Director James? It's Echolls. I need a go ahead to bring Agent Mars up to speed because we're being tailed by someone, which means I could have been made. And that would be bad on many levels for us, am I wrong?"

"Logan, you can't be serious." He said, still calmly.

"I have no other options at this point, sir." She won't stop until she figures it out. You've seen her file."

"An agent who sticks her nose where it doesn't belong doesn't exactly instill much faith in me. Have you ruled her out?" Veronica's head was bursting with questions, but one thing she learned from the FBI was to observe now, question later. _Ruled me out?? Of what?? And Nosy? I show you nosy you son of a bitch!_

"Damnit, Mike! Come on! It's not her. There's no fucking way it's her."

"If you're wrong about this, Logan, I'll kick your ass myself." Mike James stated clearly.

"Is that a go ahead?" He clarified.

"Go." Veronica assumed he turned to the _WENCH_ female and said "Now, get the hell out of here!" They could hear a door close and walking toward her desk.

"Kell. How's the stand coming?"

"Logan, take me off of speaker." She said firmly.

"I'm trying to drive, Bella." He answered softly.

"How many ethical lines have you crossed at this point, Logan Andrew?" Her voice immediately took on an angry tone. Logan pulled the phone out of Veronica's hand and switched it off of speaker.

"What the hell, Kelly?!"

"That's better. Okay, obviously you slept with her already or you wouldn't have freaked." She purred into the phone. "I want major details when you get home. Here's the info you need…"

Veronica was seething at this point. She hated, HATED not knowing what was going on. _And Who the HELL is this KELLY person?!_ "Are you serious? The civilian count is astronomical! That's insane!" Logan challenged into the phone. "Fine. Whatever you say. I'll see you at home."

_At HOME? WHAT THE HELL???_

He hung up the phone and tossed it on the center console beside him. She glared at him with the iciest stare she could muster. "I know you have about a million questions," He offered. "I will answer all of them. But not until we get there." He avoided her gaze and focused on the road. "I think we finally lost them." He added to lighten the mood. Sensing he had failed, he turned the radio up a little. They were silent until she noticed where they had exited and were headed.

"Logan. This lane goes into…"

"I know." He cut her off.

"What the hell?" She asked as he drove them into a sea of cars winding its way into the Disneyland Resort. She hadn't even realized they'd gone as far as Anaheim.

**

* * *

**

Forty minutes later, they were inside the park, opening a locker with a key that he'd been handed by a man behind a door marked 33. She had no more answers than before and now wondered how there could be secret doors at a place millions of people frequent. Inside the locker were two duffel bags with clothing and wallets stocked with cash. He indicated for her to transfer her documents into the new wallet.

"Get rid of everything and change into these, then put your old stuff back in the bag. Someone will return your stuff by mail. Once everything is stashed back in here, we'll talk." They walked towards the restrooms. Veronica took one look at the clothes and knew they would never fit. She rushed out of the restroom and over to the store she'd seen around the corner. She used the cash in the wallet and bought a light blue velour sweat suit, shoes, and some undergarments. Marveling at the fact that they even sold full outfits at a tiny shop in Disneyland, she rushed back to change. Logan was pacing outside the bathroom waiting for her when she finally emerged.

"God! What took so – Were those in the bag?" He was stunned by her appearance. _She looks so hot I could literally take her right here in the middle of Main Street._

"No, but as I'm not a two hundred pound fifty year old man, I chose to go buy something a little more appropriate." She snapped.

"Hey." He said softly as he grabbed at her hand. She pulled it out of his reach. "Okay." He sighed. "Hand me the bag." He took the bags and stuffed them back into the locker. "Do you realize your ass says 'Pixie'?" He smiled as he stared at her from behind.

"Yes." She said, shortly.

"Come on." He said decisively as he led her by placing his hand on her lower back. He definitely noticed her tense up as he did so, but he ignored it and kept on walking across the park.

"Small World?!" She complained as they stepped onto the blue plastic boats. She was utterly impressed when he'd pulled out a special pass that got them past the line, but if they were going to use something so valuable, she wished they could use it on something a little more fun.

"It's perfect." He nodded. The song played loudly the entire ride, giving them some time to talk without fear of eavesdroppers. "I owe you some major explanations. But, I'm willing to wait and answer your questions first."

"Okay fine." She said with more than a little scorn. Of the millions of questions she had swirling about in her mind, she couldn't believe the first to come sputtering out of her mouth. "How could you have gone through all the trouble of last night if you have a woman you call the 'love of your life' waiting for you at home?" The jealousy and betrayal rang out in her voice.

"What?" He asked, seeming honestly confused. "Oh! Kelly?!" He questioned, looking at her for a visual response. He took her icy stare as an affirmative. "Kelly's not. I mean…Wow. You've got that ALL wrong." He chuckled at the thought. "Sorry. Kelly Jefferson is my best friend's wife. She is eight months pregnant with their second kid. Right now they're all living at my place while they're remodeling their house. Hence the see you at home comment. We are in NO WAY a thing. At ALL." His tone was assuring, but not nearly enough to pacify her.

"You seem awfully flirty with her." _Did I really just say that? What the hell? Why am I focusing on this when I want to know what the hell is going on?_

"She's eight months pregnant and feels like a blimp, her words not mine. I just want to make her feel good. It's not like that, I swear!"

"You don't have the best track record when it comes to your best friend's significant others, Logan." Her jealousy was starting to abate. Now she was just feeling angry at herself for feeling it in the first place, especially since she had not claim over him anyway. She began to mull over the bigger piece to the puzzle.

"That's true. But, Jeff isn't Duncan. Or Dick, for that matter."

"Jeff Jefferson?"

"Jeff is short for Jefferson. His first name is Brent. You'd love him, so of course, I can never let you meet him." He showed her his jealousy in order to let her know he knew how she felt.

"Okay, so who the hell are you, Logan Echolls? You said you'd been made, but if you are actually FBI, then what's to make?" Logan pulled out his badge and opened it for her. She grabbed it from him to inspect it. "I've never seen such a good forgery!" She seemed impressed.

"Because it's not a forgery. I really am FBI." He placated her. She looked at him in confusion. "Pull out my ID and look under that." She pulled his ID out, not failing to notice he'd taken a great picture, not failing to feel jealous because hers was horrible. Underneath it had been another ID card, only this one read Office of Professional Responsibility at the top.

"OPR?!" She squeaked. This had stunned her. "The FBI's equivalent to Internal Affairs?"

"Yeah. I'm an investigator for the OPR. Which of course, I was chosen for because of my ability to profile and also because people tend to underestimate some pretty boy son of an actor."

"Why does OPR have an undercover agent in the LA field office?"

"Because someone is selling information to the highest bidders. I'm there to find out who."

"That guy on the phone asked if you'd ruled me out. But have you? I mean, how do you know it's not me?" She asked him. He heard the tone and instantly knew was she was getting at.

"Well, for one thing, you don't fit the profile. For another, you certainly aren't living like someone with a couple extra million lying around. And I talk to your father relatively often, so I know you don't have any family members you could be funding medical bills or college for. You're not on drugs, you don't lose when you gamble. And for God's sake, you're Veronica Mars. I KNOW it's not you!" He emphasized the last sentence. She began feeling guilty. Guilty that Logan assumed her innocence, whereas, when the tables had been turned, she couldn't be sure she'd be able to offer the same courtesy. She HADN'T offered the same courtesy. How many horrible things had she accused him of at this point?

"Do you have any suspects?"

"Everyone but you. And I doubt it's Hendricks, because he called us out to investigate. If it was him, he'd have to be an idiot to call attention to the leaks. But don't you worry Veronica. You're both being investigated along with everyone else."

"Good. Because I wouldn't want you to throw your career away just because you have feelings for me."

"ARE you selling secrets, Veronica?" He asked her seriously.

"NO!" She yelled as the other occupants of the boat turned to glare at her. "Of course not!"

"Then consider yourself crossed off my list."

"You would just take my word for it?"

"Yes, Veronica. It's enough for me. I trust you." She sighed. "And I asked you a lot of questions last night that you didn't know were actual questions for my investigation. So, in all fairness, I've kind of already investigated you. I just want to be completely honest with you."

"Okay. So, what's our next move? How do we catch this guy?" She asked as she turned to Logan. He recognized the look of determination and even a little excitement. _Oh, how Veronica Mars loves a mystery_

"God, you're cute when you're intrigued." He smiled. She returned the smile and for the first time since breakfast, he felt himself relax.


	9. Meet the Friends

"Okay, first things first, we don't even know if the person following us is doing so because they know I'm OPR. It was your cell they bugged and they were at your place." Logan began as they walked from the Small World exit towards Fantasyland. "Can you think of anyone who'd be following you?"

"Well, I'm an FBI agent and I'm still Neptune's 'favorite citizen,' so…God, Logan. It could be anyone!" She sighed.

"We should get out of here. I have a couple stops to make and I think we should both lay low for a couple days, then if things are okay, we'll go back to work like nothing has happened. I got a call from Dick yesterday and he didn't sound too good, so I am going to head toward Neptune. You're welcome to ride with me if you'd like. I don't want you missing your dinner tomorrow night."

"And home is the last place someone would think to search for us." She added sarcastically.

"I have a good cover for us, Veronica. Like I said, we have stops to make. The FBI is pretty good at hiding people."

"But what if the person doing the looking IS FBI?"

"That's what we have Kelly for. She's seriously amazing at what she does. In twenty minutes she convinced the FAA that a fourteen year old white farm boy from Ohio was the most wanted Muslim terrorist and had him detained and interrogated."

"I'm sure that sounds more impressive if you don't know how easy the FAA is to mess with." She challenged, unwilling to like this Kelly person.

"Fine, but really, she's awesome."

"I'll take your word for it."

They walked slowly through the park to refrain from drawing any attention to themselves. The stroll caused Veronica to become fidgety, though, and that fact hadn't gone unnoticed. He stopped abruptly in front of the Matterhorn. "Hey."

"What?" She looked up at him, feeling the definite shift in tone.

"Could you at least pretend you aren't plotting out the many different ways you can run? And maybe act like you don't loathe spending time with me?" He charged. "I know, I failed the test again. It was all lies. It's gotta be my new record, right? I fucked it all up within twenty-four hours this time. But for cover purposes, it would look better if you weren't – "

"Cocky Logan is better than self-loathing Logan." She stated simply to interrupt his monologue. "Romantic Logan is probably my favorite, though Snarky Logan has his moments. But the new improved FBI Logan? He's a mystery. One minute you can't believe how hot he is, then suddenly you're wanting to put a muzzle on him so he'll just shut up and let you think." She leaned against a fence as he eyed her.

"With as many times as I've broken you, you'd think I'd be better at piecing the puzzle back together." He said gloomily. Her heart ached at this admission. He leaned against the fence next to her so that only their sleeves were touching.

"Don't give yourself so much credit, Echolls. Do you really think a person with such deep-seeded trust and intimacy issues as myself let you get close enough to break me in only twenty-four hours?"

"I'm sorry." He froze, hands in front of him, palms toward the ground. "Is the world flipping axes or something? Because I swear I just heard Veronica Mars admit to having issues with intimacy."

"According to the fabulous Dr. Narayan, they're more along the lines of neuroses than issues. And I should really be locked up to protect people from getting close to me. But I'm sure that's all in my file." She said with obvious disdain.

"Dr. Narayan? Why are you talking to the crisis and grief counselor?" He dropped all subtext.

"It was either that or take an involuntary month-long leave of absense."

"I haven't read your file. Or anyone else's yet. I like to observe people without bias, so if you're expecting me to know what you're talking about, I don't. Wait, were you shot?!"

"Among other things." She sighed and lowered her head, as her shoes suddenly became very interesting. "I thought you'd read it, so I wouldn't have to go over this."

"It's so bad you don't want to talk about it?"

"It's not as bad as everyone makes it out to be. Seriously, everyone overreacted."

"So, what is it that is no big deal? And remembering that we are being honest with each other is good. And that I will find out when I read your file anyway."

"A couple weeks ago I got abducted while I was undercover and the mobsters roughed me up a bit for a couple days. Then we took down the whole family. Of course, that adds to the number of people who dislike me."

"Roughed you up for a few days?!" Logan spat out. "What does that mean?"

"It means they tied me up and used creative methods to get me to talk. One of which was shooting me in the shoulder. You may have noticed I tend to avoid putting much pressure on my left arm."

"God! I knew that looked like a bullet wound!" His hands were clenched so tightly it was causing him pain. He had to fight the urge to punch something at the thought of what she'd been subjected to.

"Look, if we're going to Neptune together, I'd appreciate it if you wouldn't mention this. My dad and best friends are better off not knowing why I missed the last two dinners. I don't think I can handle another fight with my dad about the dangers of being an agent."

"You said a couple days, but those dinners were weeks apart. How long did they have you, Veronica?"

"They only had me for about five days. The next dinner I missed because I went into an emergency surgery to repair my shoulder. A piece of the bullet had lodged itself into the bone." She explained casually.

"Did they – " He froze on the last word. He couldn't bring himself to ask if she'd once again been subjected to a sex crime.

"No." She answered. She knew what he was getting at without the word. "Just some mild torture tactics. No rape." He let out the breath he'd been holding. "And with all that time spent bruising me, they must really hate that I didn't cave. Well, they didn't get any real info anyway. I gave them my name, but then, Lilly Reynolds is a weapy little cry baby agent."

"So, they never got your real name?"

"No." She smiled. "And they weren't smart enough to do any internet searches or anything. Which ended up being why we busted them, too. All transactions had paper trails, the idiots. The boss even kept a hits list for each of his employees."

"Well, if there's a leak in your office, we don't know how safe you really are. So, we'll keep on our toes." Logan voiced his thoughts. "Protective Logan is never far from the surface." He raised an eyebrow at her.

She smiled at his reference. "You kept your phone going." She changed the subject.

"What?"

"When you disappeared on me. Your cell phone stayed in service, but the only calls you ever made were to your voicemail. You never answered."

"You always called with untraceable cell phones." He smiled. "So I knew it was you even though you rarely left messages. But, I liked when you left messages. Thanks for not forgetting my birthday, by the way."

"Why did you keep it?"

"We were broken up when I left. And we hadn't been together for three years at that point. But I had to keep my promise to you. I will always keep my promise."

"Which promise?"

"If you ever need me, I'm gonna be there."

"That the wish of giving happiness to you might add force to the other inducements which led me on, I shall not attempt to deny." She quoted.

"Good quote." He smiled.

"I know it's from Pride and Prejudice. Darcy said it to Elizabeth. But why was that your quote of the day for three years?"

"It was as much of an explanation as I could give you for me leaving. I left for me, but I thought it would be good for you too."

"Good for me? For another person to abandon me?"

"Everyone told me you were miserable and that you wouldn't move on because I got in your way. They said you'd be happier if I would just set you free. Which I thought was ridiculous because if anyone needed to be set free, it wasn't you. I didn't have any claim on you. The funniest thing though, was when I told them all goodbye. I gave them no warning about that, by the way. But when I told them I was leaving, they all got mad at me for leaving. Said I was giving up on you. Said I was abandoning you. I was standing there, telling them I was completely broken and needed to not hurt anymore, but they didn't care because I was going to hurt you. Even Dick, Veronica."

"Well, it did hurt. And I did feel abandoned. Again."

"And that's why I kept the phone. And I talked to your dad. And I kept tabs on you. And I sent you birthday presents."

"I knew they were from you. I mean, Wallace gave them to me, but I knew. Thank you, by the way. That crystal pony was beautiful."

"I regretted that one, actually. I thought maybe it was a little too cheesy."

"It was perfect. Funny and sweet. Anyway. I knew where you were. Knew you'd gone to Michigan. Knew you enrolled under an alias, thanks to Mac. But the FBI stuff I didn't know. Once you got your masters I kind of lost you. That's when I called your cell like once a month, just to make sure it was still working."

"I went straight into a fast track of training for the OPR. I barely knew where I was at that point. And now I've been in the Bureau for a year."

"Before we leave can we go on one more ride?" She smiled as she jumped away from the fence. He laughed at her rapid transition.

"Maybe. Depends on the ride you choose. And by that I mean it needs to move fast. A roller coaster."

"What if it involves shooting instead of speed?"

"Are you talking about Astro-Blasters?" He asked.

"Yes." She grinned happily. "How do you know Disneyland so well?"

"Jeff, Kelly, and I brought Kylie a couple months ago. For her third birthday."

"You go on family vacations with them?"

"I told you, he's nothing like Duncan. And I'm Kylie's godfather, so I get to do family stuff. I'll go on Astro-Blasters, but we're doing Space Mountain too."

"Yay!" She squeaked and headed off in the direction of the ride. He watched her walk away for a moment, then rushed to catch up to her.

**LoVe LoVe LoVe**

"Logan, we parked on the Minnie Mouse floor in the garage, which is the other way."

"Yes, but we aren't leaving in my Rover. It's being swept and fingerprinted. We have a new ride waiting in the hotel parking lot." He explained as they walked quickly toward the hotel. He scanned the lot and saw the ride that awaited them. A burgundy Dodge Magnum.

"Ugliest car ever, but man, it has power." He announced.

"At least it's not a Banana Car." She muttered. "Where are we headed?"

"My house first, I have some files to pick up. But before we can get there, we're gonna need a big diversion. And I heard that." He opened his phone and made a call. "Keith. Hey, how's it going?" Veronica's mouth dropped open. _He couldn't be calling my Dad, could he?!_ "Do me a favor. Don't believe anything you hear in the next couple of hours, okay?"

"Wait, is that my Dad?" Logan nodded at her question.

"Yeah, a big diversion. Veronica's involved in this one too. If anyone calls, make it look like you're worried. Maybe even pretend to head for LA. I think this one is going to involve a hospital. Definitely major publicity."

"Does he want to talk to me?" He held up a finger to hold her off.

"She's with me right now. We're getting lost, but we're both fine. Should be the same as last time. Spread the word to the others only if her name goes public. And as usual, we never had this conversation. Thanks, Keith. See you soon."

"What is going on?"

"I'm about to have a very public car accident and I don't want your dad to worry about us." He explained as if it were perfectly normal. He started another phone call. "Okay Kelly. We're go for diversion. We're leaving the parking lot now, so I should make it home by about one thirty. Keep my baby safe!" After a few minutes of details, he hung up. "Okay, we're having a bad car accident in about ten minutes. We're going to be hospitalized for about two or three days. Do you need to let anyone besides your dad, Wallace, Mac, or Dick know that it's just a cover?"

"Callie or Seth might stop by the hospital to check on me."

"Sorry, no work people can know. Besides, until the news breaks, I'm not sure if it'll be your name or unknown female. You know how the vultures go for their angles."

"Then, I can't think of anyone." She said as Logan's cell phone rang.

"Hey, Kell. Okay, thanks. Donut Stop? Perfect. Thanks!"

"Donut Stop?"

"Yeah, We're picking up a passenger at a place near where I live. Well, actually, he'll be the driver so we won't be seen at my house." He moved through his cell phone list and made another call, this one on speaker. "Trina."

"Hey, Baby Brother. You haven't been home. Are you back in Virginia?"

"No, I'm on my way home now. Do you have any paparazzi today?"

"I haven't been out yet. Just got up, actually. The Lucas Party was pretty incredible last night. You missed out."

"I'll be sure to send George my apologies." Logan's voice was thick with sarcasm. "Listen, the news outlets are about to report that I had an accident. So you should have a major publicity opportunity later on today. The official answer is that the bodies are unrecognizable due to the burns and you are waiting on dna or dental records to know if it's really me that was driving. Should make for some good screen time so you can promote your book."

"So, this is another of your aversions?"

"Diversions. Yes. See you in about twenty minutes."

"See you, Logan." He closed his phone.

"That was a really civil conversation. With Trina. Are you feeling okay, Logan?"

"Trina and I worked out a lot of our issues over the past few years. Rehab really worked wonders on that one."

"Rehab? Trina Echolls? And it wasn't plastered on every television from here to Sri Lanka?"

"Turns out my big sister had a nasty Meth addiction to go with her attraction to the world's biggest losers."

"Wow. That explains the crazy happy and the mood swings I've seen her have. Seriously, though? I'm really glad to hear it."

"That Trina was in rehab?"

"No. That you have people. Trina and your friends. I'm glad you haven't been alone all this time."

"It is nice to have people. But don't worry, It doesn't mean I missed you any less." His phone beeped twice. "Can you check that text? It might be instructions from Kelly." He said quickly. She opened his phone and read a text from someone named Hot Stuff.

"Hot Stuff says Virginia is sad and lonely without you. Susie has no one to play with." Veronica read with a definite lack of enthusiasm. Logan laughed at the message.

"Text this back for me?" He asked gently. "Veronica read that text aloud to me." She did and almost instantly received a reply. She looked at Logan and he indicated for her to go ahead.

"THE Veronica? I am humbled in the presence of royalty." She read aloud again. He laughed again.

"Yes, THE Veronica. Susie misses her ass whoopings?" Logan said for her to respond. Veronica scoffed at him. "Just send it, please." She complied.

"Logan, is Susie a game thing?"

"Yeah, she's Jeff's team captain in our favorite Volleyball game, why?"

"Because the next text says you must have forgotten how Susie beat Elsa so hard her implants burst." Logan chuckled again.

"Can you let him know that you're doing the texting and you aren't interested in how bad he sucks at that game?" She sent a text introducing herself and stopped reading aloud.

_Hello Veronica. I'm Brent, but people call me Jeff. Long story. I've heard a lot about you._

_Probably lies. Unless it's good stuff, then it's definitely lies._

_Logan goes pretty in depth when he talks about you. I'll have to meet you to get the real story._

_Frequently underestimated badass FBI agent. Nuff said. _Veronica smiled at her bragging.

_Ah, see mostly Logan talks about this ridiculously hot blond._

_Blond. Hence the frequently underestimated._

_The hot part probably doesn't help much._

_But, how do you know I'm really hot? Could be Logan's imagination._

_Right now I live in a house that has you all over it._

_Wait, What?_

_Pictures of you litter the walls at the Echolls Estate. You're hot._

_You are at an unfair advantage then. I can't tell if you're hot or not._

_I'm an old married guy, so probably not. Haha. He might have a picture of me in his wallet, though._

_He's that in love with you?_ Veronica smirked. Logan was watching her uneasily.

_He's that in love with my daughter, I think._

"Logan? Where's your wallet?" She asked out loud.

"Here, why?" He pulled it out of his pocket. "What are you two talking about?" He questioned, the fear obvious. She took it from him and opened it, looking for any pictures. What she found made her breath catch. A folded up picture of herself leaning her head on Logan's shoulder that was taken on the quad at Hearst. Underneath it was another picture of Logan, a man, a woman, and a little girl with curly blond pigtails.

_Tall blond guy with a gorgeous wife and baby?_

_That'd be my Kelly and my Kylie._

_Then you're officially hot in my book._

_Ha! Make sure you tell Logan that. And that Kylie's really sorry she broke his necklace. _Veronica laughed out loud at this admission.

"What are you two talking about?" He asked with obvious annoyance.

"Hold on." She sang.

_Wait, what necklace?_

_It's white and black shells._

_Oh NO! If it's the one I'm thinking of, then it's his favorite._

_Crap._

_Seriously. He almost never took it off._

_Tell him I'll try to have it fixed before he gets back._

"Uh, Logan?"

"What?"

"Jeff says Kylie, who is completely adorable, by the way, is really sorry that she broke your necklace and he's going to get it fixed." She said gently.

"What?!" He immediately knew which necklace. He'd left it on the counter in his bathroom, when he'd considered bringing it to California. He really wished he'd brought it now. And he wished he wasn't driving so he could react. "Damn it." His fingers turned white he gripped the steering wheel so hard.

"I'm sorry, Logan." She said honestly.

"It's not your fault."

"I know, it's just…Logan, I know who gave you that necklace."

"It's okay. I still have the lighter."

"I can't believe you even still had the necklace. You got it for your thirteenth birthday."

"How do you remember when I got it?"

"I was over at your house early that day so I could help you get ready for the party. Remember? Lilly and Duncan were supposed to help us, but they were really late. And while we were rushing around, your mom stopped us for a minute so you could open the gift. It was the necklace and she put it on you so you could look more like a surfer."

"God, I can't believe you remember all of that."

"We worked for three hours setting the place up. And we kept saying we weren't gonna let Duncan and Lilly have any cake." She chuckled.

"But, of course we couldn't resist the Kane charm."

"YOU couldn't. I got thrown in the pool." She groaned. He laughed as he remembered.

"Lilly was a sneaky one all right." He agreed. "The look on your face when you realized she had pushed you in. It was priceless. Like a perfect combination of anger, shock, betrayal, and admiration. You're the only person I've ever known who can show that many emotions on your face at one time."

"Looked in any mirrors lately?" She mumbled.

"I don't do that!" He argued.

"Oh, please. You are the king of conflicting emotions. What about the first time we kissed?" _Why on earth did I just bring THAT up?_

"What about it?"

"The look on your face afterwards. Confusion, horror, shock, fear, and relief that I wasn't dead." He snorted at her assessment. "It terrified me."

"I think you are failing to see the one thing that I actually felt at that moment."

"Logan, I know you. I know your eyes. You had every single one of those emotions in your eyes. Trust me. That look is permanently seared in my brain."

"Then, how are you failing to recognize the only thing I remember feeling?"

"Okay, I'll bite. What were you feeling?"

"It was desire." He watched Veronica blush, then continued. "That was the moment I realized I was in love with you." _As if there's been even one second since then that I haven't been in love with you._

"Hello? I'm talking about our first kiss, Logan. The one where we realized we were screwing with the social order in Neptune? Betraying our best friends? Kissing our enemies?"

"The kiss where I finally realized I was being horrible to you because I couldn't handle how much I loved you."

"What?"

"I've always loved you, Veronica. I don't mean like in love with you, that was later. But you were the only person who ever showed me true kindness and tenderness. You were Lilly's best friend, but you were always a better friend to me than her or Duncan. You always knew exactly how to make it better. Whatever IT was. So, when we lost Lilly, I blamed you partially because you couldn't make it better. And then I felt like your dad made it worse. I was a stupid kid who didn't have any good role models and I lashed out. I'm not apologizing any more for that because you already know I regret that time. And I've pretty much dealt with THAT demon. But, I need you to realize something. Not once in the entire time I've known you have I ever stopped loving you for that. You are the only person back home who ever looked past my name and cared for me just because. No questions asked."

"God, I walked us right into that conversation, didn't I?" She choked out, trying desperately to lighten the mood. _Stop making me love you, damn it, Logan!_


	10. Panic Mode

"There's Hamilton." Logan stated as he pulled into a driveway of the Donut Stop donut shop.

"Agent Hamilton, Agent Mars." Logan introduced them after they'd gotten out of the car and gone into the Donut Stop. Logan was now wearing a baseball cap low on his head so his eyes were almost hidden. Veronica didn't think she'd ever seen him wear a baseball hat. Somehow, he made it look hot. Agent Hamilton looked Veronica up and down in a very lewd manner, without showing any sign of apology or regret. It was only then that she remembered what she was wearing. She let out an annoyed sigh. The look didn't go unnoticed by Logan, either. He moved slightly to obstruct Hamilton's view and cleared his throat.

"We should get going."

"And you?" Veronica charged to Hamilton. She didn't need Logan to protect her. "You might want to wipe that drool off your chin. It's not very becoming of a Federal Agent." She pounded her finger into his sternum and brushed past him and out of the shop.

"Wow. What's up with her?" Hamilton asked Logan. He rubbed where she had poked him and he still hadn't taken his eyes off of her.

"Don't even think about it. Out of your league and as off limits as they come." Logan growled and handed the keys over. The car had a secret compartment in the trunk that was large enough for both Veronica and Logan to lay inside. He noticed her wince as they said where she'd be riding. But she steeled herself and climbed in after Logan. Hamilton closed the trunk and it became completely dark. Veronica started breathing heavily and her hands started shaking. Violently.

"Hey. Are you okay?" Logan asked with worry. He ran his hand gently along her arm. She whimpered slightly and covered her face with her hands.

_Don't panic. Don't panic. Don't panic._

"Oh God, Veronica. It's okay. You're okay." He pulled her into his arms and cradled her head to his chest. _God. I am such an IDIOT. The girl was abducted a month ago. Shove her in a dark cramped space, Echolls. Brilliant move._ She was in full panic mode. He rested his head on hers and spoke softly into her hair. "It's okay, baby. I'm here. You're okay." She inhaled his scent in one of her panicky breaths and was calmed a bit. It was enough that she was able to wrap her arms around him tightly, clutching his shirt in her tiny fists. When she let out a sob, his heart broke for her. "I'm so sorry, Veronica. It won't be too much longer. I've got you." He rubbed her back, soothingly. "Hey, do you remember that time in the summer after high school when we went to the beach for breakfast? Your dad was somewhere chasing a bad guy and we had stayed up all night just so we could see the sunrise?" She nodded into his chest. Her breathing had calmed a great deal and now she was simply sniffling lightly. "You had just set up the plate with all that fruit on it and you put it on the blanket in front of us when Backup ran back to bring that driftwood and got sand everywhere. And then the fruit went flying. That was a good day." He smiled.

"The strawberry got on your jeans." She whispered with a light giggle.

"Yeah." He laughed. "And then we had a fruit fight. That you started, I might add. And you smashed melon in my hair."

"You shoved pineapple up my nose!" She complained, getting some of her spark back. He began to giggle uncontrollably at the thought. At first she was mad at him for laughing at her. Then, when he couldn't stop laughing, it became impossible not to join him. They were laughing so hard, the door opening caught them both completely off guard.

"We're here." Hamilton stated gruffly. Eyeing the two as they were wrapped around each other. They quickly let go and shimmied out of the compartment with serious looks planted on their faces. Logan stumbled a bit when he got out and it set Veronica off again into hysterical giggling. Hearing her laugh forced him back into his hysterics.

"Right. Well, are you gonna stop that anytime soon?" Hamilton asked. They continued giggling. Veronica noticed they were on a driveway at the back of a very large house.

"What's so funny, Little Brother?" Trina asked from the back door.

"Hi, Miss Echolls." Hamilton said, suddenly finding some timidity and respect. Logan and Veronica finally settled down.

"Hey, Trin." Logan said happily. "You know Veronica, of course." He moved Veronica so that she was in full view.

"Veronica Mars!" Trina said with a squeaky voice, but without the sarcasm it used to hold. "How are you, Sweetie?" She rushed over and hugged her. "Gosh, you're still as gorgeous as ever!"

"How are you, Trina?"

"I'm good. Come, come, let's get you guys inside. We wouldn't want any lurking paparazzi to spot you. I just saw that you were in an accident."

"Was Veronica's name on there, or just mine?" Logan asked as they all went into the house.

"Fox News reported both of your names and MSN said you and an unconfirmed female." She reported.

Logan's phone rang. He eyed the caller ID before answering.

"Hey, Mac. It's a diversion again. We're both fine. Don't tell outsiders. See you guys soon. Bye."

"Mac called you?" Veronica asked.

"She saw it online and didn't want to freak Dick out unless she had to." He explained.

**

* * *

**Twenty minutes of Hamilton drooling after Trina later, Logan had packed an overnight bag for himself and changed out of his loaner clothes and into jeans and a green sweater. He came downstairs to find Veronica eyeing the pair unhappily. He saw Trina lapping up the attention and smiled, shaking his head at Veronica. She noticed him on the stairs, thankful for the distraction. He raised his eyebrows and motioned for her to come follow him. She rushed away from the large living room. 

"Quick tour, Mademoiselle?" He gave a slight bow.

"No fair. You got to change."

"No fair. You look so hot, it's ridiculous." He challenged. "Tour?" He asked again

"Sure." They walked up the stairs.

"Don't worry. We'll eat soon." He smiled at her.

"Good. Logan?"

"Yes?"

"Thanks." He looked her in the eye and nodded. He knew how hard it was for her to even bring it up and that she wouldn't want to discuss the car ride any further. He showed her around the upstairs of his house. She noticed the pictures on the wall more than anything else. Most of it was artwork and most looked expensive. But it was the photographs that caught her attention. Not photos of him or of people he even knew. They were of random people and things.

"These." She said after the third photo.

"Are yours?" He asked, finishing her thought.

"Yeah."

"You gave me a lot over the years. And you're the best photographer I know, so here they are. I get compliments on them all the time."

"Really?" She asked in actual surprise as they kept moving.

"Yeah. This is my room." He said happily. She looked critically around the large room. His bed was big and looked warm and cozy. His room was done in mostly brown and burgundy and she thought it was in Logan's taste. Very simple, but with a hint of elegance. There was a large photo on the wall opposite the bed. It was of a couple kissing under an umbrella in the rain. She laughed.

"That was a surveillance photo, Logan. A tawdry affair."

"I know. And you took something horrible and made a beautiful picture out of it." He clarified. She continued looking at his room. Anywhere but in his eyes. On his nightstand was a picture of the four best friends in the Kane house before Homecoming.

"I like your house, Logan."

"It's all right. You should see my house in Arlington, though. It doesn't have the LA flair, and you can see the Potomac from my back yard. It's a lot more homey."

"Do we have to leave the way we came?" She changed the subject.

"No. We're taking the Escalade out the back exit while Hammy goes out the front."

"If my name was released, then going to my place isn't going to happen, is it?"

"It wouldn't be advisable, no."

"I need to find some new clothes, then. Looks like I get to go shopping."

"I can definitely arrange that. But closer to Neptune. There are too many eyes in LA. May I ask you a question that I don't intend to sound mean, but probably will?"

"Too soon to talk about it." She cut him off.

"Not that. I've had six phone calls since the report, but I've noticed your phone hasn't rung once. What's up with that?"

"Oh yeah!" She realized out loud. "I have to at least have had one or two." She started to pat herself down. "Shit! My phone is in the Range Rover."

"What?"

"I put it on the console after the bug and I didn't bring it with me into Disneyland. Shit. What if they trace my number?"

"Actually, it's probably a good thing, now that I think of it. They took the Rover while we were still at Disneyland, it'll really only help confirm you were with me."

"Except that it's the only way I can contact Weevil. I don't have his phone number anywhere else. And I just realized he'll probably trip out if I don't let him know what's going on." She wrinkled her face up in distaste. Logan pulled out his phone and made another call.

"Hey, Man."

"You calling from the hospital?! Is she with you? She's not answering any of my calls. What the hell happened to staying away from her?"

"Yes, it's nice to hear from you too." Logan snarked.

"Not in the mood, Echolls! Is Veronica okay?"

"She's fine. I'm fine too. It's all an ellaborate diversion. No Worries. Our girl is just fine."

"Are you talking to my dad, Logan?" She asked wryly. He shook his head. "Wallace? Dick? Mac?" He kept shaking his head.

"Prove it!" He growled from the other end of the phone. "Is that Veronica? Let me talk to her!"

"Chill out, Vato." Logan answered.

"Oh. My. God. You're talking to WEEVIL?!"

"Yes, and you're making it hard to hear him, gosh, Veronica!" He teased.

"Gimme the phone!" She yelled, grabbing at the phone as Logan heard Weevil yell, "Give her the phone!"

"Damn, Mars! Fine." Logan tossed it to her and nursed the hand she'd just dug her nails into.

"Weevil?"

"V?"

"Why the hell does Logan have your number in his cell and why the hell did that seem like a typical conversation between two friends?" She bit into the phone as she glared at Logan.

"Shit, V. I thought you were dying somewhere. It's all over the news."

"Answer me!"

"Because Echolls calls me to make sure I keep an eye out for you now and again." Weevil admitted. He knew the time for lies was over. Logan sat on his bed.

"How long has that gone on?" She snapped.

"Off and on. Probably two years." Weevil replied. Logan fell back onto his bed and put his hand over his eyes in defeat.

"We're gonna be in Neptune tonight and tomorrow night. My dad's having dinner tomorrow night if you want to come. But no one can know I'm not in the hospital, okay?"

"Secret's safe with me."

"I have to go, we have to keep moving."

"Tell Echolls he's a bitch for not telling you before he called me."

"We'll have words. Trust me."

"Glad you're okay, V."

"Talk to you later, Weevil." She hung up and tossed the phone so that it landed hard on Logan's unsuspecting stomach.

"Ow." He complained, moving his hand to watch her.

"You deserve it. God, Logan! I get my dad and Wallace, Mac, and Dick. But Weevil? He's the one person I thought wasn't lying to me. Did you keep in touch with Piz and Parker too? Or Leo or Saks? Am I the only person that wasn't worthy of a conversation? Why is it that you can convince all of my so-called friends to lie to me for three years? Am I really that bad, Logan?" He laid silently on the bed, taking every ounce of anger he knew she'd had bubbling inside. He'd expected her to blow and was secretly surprised it hadn't happened sooner. "Did you stay in touch with Mercer too?" He instantly sat up biting his tongue in anger. "I'm sure you've kept Madison within touching reach too, right?" She hadn't even realized how much anger she had been wallowing on.

"That's enough." He challenged. "Yes, I kept in touch with your friends. Most of whom were also friends of mine. And Weevil and I share a common interest in you. Two years ago I ran into him in a bar in Neptune and we made a deal to remain neutral over all past indifferences. We keep in contact very rarely and only when we have news about you. I have no problem with you being angry about any of that. You have every right to be. But don't you dare for one minute think that I did any of it to deliberately hurt you. And I'm not even going to justify those last remarks with a response."

"So, what about my dad, Logan? Why keep your constant communication a secret, huh? Why make my dad lie to me? Why keep in touch with my dad? What are you a stalker or something?" Her anger hadn't abated even a little.

"Your dad is the only parental figure I even have, Veronica." He said softly. And just as quickly as it came, her anger halted. Cut off by her compassion, her empathy at their unique situation. Her dad was the only parental figure in either of their lives. She collapsed to her knees on the ground. That's the moment she realized she'd been running on adrenaline all morning after very little sleep the night before, no matter how peaceful the sleep was. She'd had enough emotional turmoil for a month and it was only two thirty in the afternoon.

"I told you I was still angry." She sighed.

"And apparently exhausted." He observed and he moved from the bed and lifted her up and sat her on the bed. "Don't get too comfortable, we need to get going."

"Who's following me, Logan?"

"Would it help you to know that when I find out I'll most likely get reprimanded by my supervisors for beating the shit out of them?" He sat next to her, gently.

"Yes." She leaned over and rested her head on his shoulder in defeat.

"The part about me getting in trouble or me beating the shit out of someone?"

Yes." She sighed and let out a half smile.

"I figured. Come on. This day is still only half over. You have a two hour drive to sleep through." She stood up so that he wouldn't be able to pull her up or grab for her hand. He'd already known not to, but she knew if he'd tried, she wouldn't be able to resist him.


	11. You Can't Go Home

Veronica opened her eyes as she felt the car's motion begin to slow. She saw that they were exiting the freeway in Neptune and sat up quickly. Logan's pillow fell slightly when she moved and landed in her lap. She wasn't about to let him know that she smiled when she realized it smelled like him.

"I really slept the whole drive?"

"Yeah. Feel any better?"

"Did you put a sleeping pill in my sandwich at lunch?"

"No. I think I've learned my lesson when it comes to you and drugs."

"You're headed for the mall, right?"

"You don't want to go home first?"

"My ass still says Pixie." She griped. He laughed.

"Okay, okay." He seceded. "But you'll need this." He pulled a bag from behind her seat and handed it to her. In it was a brunette wig and the baseball hat Logan wore earlier. He grabbed the hat and put it back on. She tucked her hair up into the wig and looked at her reflection in the visor mirror.

An hour later, they had pulled up to Mars Investigations and a brown-haired Veronica was wearing jeans, a purple shirt, a brown corduroy jacket and a pair of boots she'd fallen in love with. She hopped out of the Escalade and rushed into her dad's office with Logan trailing close behind.

"Sorry, we're closed for the day." The brunette girl at the desk called to them as they entered. "Mr. Mars, the investigator, is currently on a phone conference, so you'll have to come back another time."

"Since when does the CEO of Phoenix Media Corporation run reception duties for a PI?" Veronica asked. Mac looked up at the two again and her jaw dropped.

"Veronica?" She squealed. "Logan?"

"Mac!" They said in unison.

Mac moved from the desk and threw her arms around both of them. Logan and Veronica looked at each other, puzzled.

"Are you hugging us, Mac?" Veronica asked.

"Oh, shut up." She quipped and pushed them away. "Does this mean that all the lying and 'creatively bending the truth' is over?" She asked them making air quotes.

"No more hiding Logan!" Veronica commanded. She hugged them both again.

"My house will be so much happier now that we won't have to juggle you two anymore!" She smiled.

"You're hugging again." Logan joked and Mac let go. "So, why are you at the front desk at Mars Investigations?"

"Hooking Mr. Mars up with some sweet new software and a nice networking upgrade. Jeremy left about fifteen minutes ago."

"Bummer. I've been wanting to put a face to his voice." Veronica admitted.

"Mac, how's it going?" Keith asked, opening his door and stepping out of his office.

"Hi, Dad."

"Honey!" Keith cheered and he hugged Veronica tightly. "Nice hair." He patted her head.

"Yeah, we're not here." She smiled and relaxed into her dad's arms. "Neither of you have seen us."

"Logan." Her dad said with a smile as he released his daughter. "Good to see you." He then moved and gave Logan a quick hug.

"You too. Thanks for your help today."

"Mr. Mars, you should be all set." Mac added.

"Thanks, I'll call you when I can't figure any of it out."

"Jeremy is trained in the programs so he should be able to help you out." She smiled. "Logan, are you staying with us tonight?"

"No. I'm gonna get a room at the Grand. Dick said to come over to your place once I checked in." Logan replied. "Veronica and I are going to The Studio Diner for dinner at seven if you are interested in joining us." Logan said to Mac. "You too, Keith."

"You're having dinner together?" Mac and Keith asked at the same time.

"We were talking about the Diner earlier and we realized we hadn't been there in forever. And I'm dying for one of their chocolate shakes." Veronica replied.

"And I can't wait to have a Babe Sandwich." Logan added. "So, do you guys want to come?"

"Of course." Keith answered.

"I'll check with Dick.' Mac answered.

"I'd call Wallace, except my phone is history." Veronica said sourly.

"It's not history. It's just out of commission for the moment. They didn't actually crash my car."

"Well, you can use mine." Mac offered. She pulled up Wallace's number and handed it to Veronica.

"Hey Mac. Is everything okay?"

"Wallace! It's Veronica."

"Who?"

"Very funny. Hey, I'm in Neptune and a bunch of us are going to eat at The Studio Diner at seven if you'd like to join us."

"I'll try to get off work early to make it." He said with a non-committal air.

"Good. I miss you, BFF."

"Why aren't you calling me from your phone? Lose it in the accident?"

"Pretty much. Well, I don't want to keep you so you'll be able to make it tonight. Bye, Wallace."

"Bye, Veronica."

"Thanks!" Veronica handed the phone back to Mac.

"Hey," Logan turned to Veronica. "I have to go get checked in and meet up with Dick. Need me to drive you anywhere?"

"Dad, are you almost finished here? Want to haul your awesome daughter around?"

"I'm finished up. Let's go."

**

* * *

**"Good to have you home, Sweetie." 

"Good to be home, Dad." She smiled as she was kneeling on the ground, petting Backup. "Looks like you've got more bark than bite these days, old man." Backup rolled onto his back asking for a belly rub.

"Don't let her talk to you like that, Backup! Show her who's the boss around here."

"So, how are you, Dad?" _You seemed pissed on the phone the other day._

"I'm good. Why are you and Logan hiding out in Neptune?"

"Because I needed to be here for dinner tomorrow." She teased her father.

"Why are you hiding out was the question I really wanted an answer to, Veronica."

"This is just a layover before Logan and I elope to Vegas, then flee the country with the money we get away with in the big casino heist we've been working on."

"That's not amusing. It's never amusing."

"Ah, but for me, it really is." Her dad sighed. "Dad, Logan and I are just being cautious with a work situation."

"Veronica, you realize I'm not an idiot, right? I know if you've used a very public car accident as a cover story that you're hiding from someone. Who are you hiding from and why are you hiding together?"

"I could tell you, but I don't want to have to kill you, so I'm not gonna." She mocked. "Don't you worry your pretty little head. We're fine." The home phone rang and Veronica jumped up and raced for it. She got a huge grin on her face. "Mars residence."

"Hello? Who is this?" A female voice questioned.

"Well, you're calling us, so actually, who is this?"

"This is Rebecca! Keith's fiancée! Who the hell is this?!"

"What?!" Veronica dropped the phone.

"What is it, sweetie?" Keith asked in concern. She just stared at her father wide-mouthed. Keith went to the phone in fear upon seeing the look on her face. He picked it up and asked, "Hello? Who is this?"

"Keith?! Who the hell answered your home phone?"

"Rebecca. Honey, it's not like that. It's part of a case and I can't explain it over the phone, but I'm going to stop by after a dinner meeting I'm going to tonight and I'll tell you all about it then, okay?" Veronica backed away as he spoke in such a calming tone. She rushed out of the room and grabbed her bag and made a mad dash for her old bedroom, which was now just a guest bedroom. She collapsed onto the bed and she heard her dad finish the call. "Yes. I love you, Rebecca. I'll see you in a few hours. I missed you all day too. Love you." Veronica stared at the ceiling in disbelief.

"Veronica, can you come out here please?"

She put her game face on before getting up to go back into the living room.

"Why did you drop the phone just now?" He knew Rebecca well enough to know she'd probably mentioned the fiancée word, but he needed to be sure before just throwing it out there.

"I'm gonna go with the logical answer and say it's probably because I just found out my father is engaged. From someone I don't even know."

"Well, in all fairness, I tried to tell you a month ago, but you missed dinner. Then I tried again two weeks after I'd proposed, but again, you missed dinner. And I didn't want to break the news over the phone."

"So, you're blaming me for you not telling me you plan to marry a woman I've never met?" Veronica growled.

"One, you haven't been around, Veronica. And two, she's not a woman you haven't met. She's Rebecca James."

"Are you kidding me? The guidance counselor?!"

"Veronica, you will not make any more negative comments about this. We're in love and we're getting married. She'll be having dinner with all of us tomorrow and I expect you to be on your best behavior."

Veronica's expression was a mixture of shock, sorrow, and indignation. She hadn't even known her dad was dating someone, let alone seriously. And then to get yelled at like she was a sullen teenager again. She had never felt a stronger urge for some liquor in her life.

"We're going to be late if we don't get going." She said to slow the throbbing in her head. She retreated into her thoughts and rubbed her temples accordingly.

"Go get your stuff. I'll go start the car." Keith said and he left the apartment, grabbing his jacket on the way out. He knew she'd want a minute alone. This was definitely not how he'd planned on telling her. And now, Rebecca was angry and he'd lied to her.

She walked to the guestroom and put her jacket on. She looked at the picture on the wall. She was nine in that picture. Her mom and dad smiled down on her as she was blowing bubbles with a yellow plastic wand. Veronica took two deep breaths. It's not like she wanted her parents back together, but to find out like this and to get yelled at for it, hurt.

**

* * *

**"That's enough!" Logan dropped his silverware on his plate loudly, silencing the table. Keith, Wallace, Mac, Dick, and Veronica all turned to look at him. Mac's mouth hung open in protest at being so rudely interrupted. 

"Logan," Veronica defended softly.

"No! I'm not going to sit here and listen to you people berate Veronica for something that was completely out of her control! Logan ripped his wallet out of his pocket and slammed cash down on the table.

"It's okay, Logan." Veronica attempted. The others all stayed silent watching him.

He stood up resolutely. "No. It's not. And I've had enough." He charged, staring down at everyone but Veronica. He walked out of the diner and headed for his car.

Veronica sighed heavily and stood up. "I'll be right back." She followed quickly after him. Everyone at the table watched them in awe.

"So, obviously three years apart has done nothing to rid Logan of his insatiable love for Veronica Mars." Wallace stated.

"That's a fancy way to say Logan is as whipped as ever." Dick chuckled.

"Maybe we were being a little hard on her." Mac offered.

"Mackie. She's Veronica. Girl can and will bitch out anyone who pisses her off. She didn't threaten me with a taser even once, so I think we're fine."

"I hate to say it, but I think Dick's right. If she was upset, she'd get all snappy and Chihuahua-like. Wallace teased lightly, but he was watching Keith, who looked like he was somewhere else.

"For as mad at us as Logan acted just now for us being mean to her, he sure looks like he's yelling at Ronnie." Dick observed. "Man, you could cut that sexual tension with a knife. They should just…" Dick shut up instantly as Mac elbowed him.

"That is my daughter you are talking about Mr. Casablancas." Keith chirped. He turned to watch Logan to make sure he wasn't about to hurt Veronica.

**

* * *

**"Logan." She called gently. He stopped but didn't turn to look at her. "Thank you." 

"419."

"What?" She asked moving forward to turn him around.

"If you need me, I'm in 419 at the Grand."

"What, the Presidential Suite was taken?"

"Yeah. Apparently some punk teenager ran away from home and is wasting his inheritance by living there."

"Seriously? Sounds like my kind of guy." She challenged.

"Sounds like a bad way to learn about responsibility.

"You do realize you used to BE that punk teenager?"

"Yep. NOT a good way to learn responsibility. I would know."

"Okay, stop avoiding the topic at hand. Thanks for sticking up for me." She placed her hand on his forearm. He backed away and shook his head.

"I shouldn't have to stick up for you, Veronica!" He yelled at her. "You should do it yourself! Why are you letting them walk all over you?"

"What? I'm not." She responded calmly.

"Yes, you are! You're letting every snarky comment they throw at you slide. You're taking every jab and every complaint they come up with. It's not your fault you weren't here, Veronica!" Then in a softer tone he added "Stop punishing yourself."

"I know it wasn't my fault, Logan."

"Then go act like it. If this thing didn't break you, then go back in there and prove it! The last time I saw you like this _Ronnie_, Lilly was still alive and she was bossing you around." He made a point to emphasize her old nickname. He saw a spark in her eyes. "That's it. Use your fire. Maybe even tell them what happened.."

"No fair. You know exactly which buttons to push to piss me off."

"No fair. About four times today I was ready to just jump your bones in public, but we're back to you being mad at me." With that said, he jumped in the Escalade and started the car. She stomped back inside and he drove off with a smile.


	12. The Real Deal

"Logan sends his regards." Veronica teased when she got back to the table. She remained standing.

"I think it's funny. We aren't much of a draw for you to come back to Neptune. But Logan Echolls shows up and you come running." Wallace remarked bitterly.

"Listen up." She said in a matter of fact voice. I'm only going to say this once and there will be no discussion period afterwards. The first dinner I missed was because my car had broken down. I called and apologized. The second dinner I was stuck in an airport, waiting for a blizzard to clear. I called and I apologized."

"We're aware of all of this." Wallace interrupted.

"Bully for you." She snarked. "Now, don't interrupt me. I missed the third dinner because while I was undercover for an assignment, I was abducted and held hostage for five days. I apologize for not calling, but my captors wouldn't let me use the phone." She flinched upon seeing the looks of horror dawning on the four faces in front of her, but continued. "Then, I missed the last dinner because I was taken in for an emergency surgery to retrieve a bullet fragment that lodged itself in my shoulder during the abduction. But, I did call you to apologize. Now, I'd appreciate it if you would all stop giving me shit about not being around. I get it. You're pissed. I also expect all of you to be on your best behavior tomorrow night and be nice to me and to Logan at dinner. Now, who's up for dessert?" She sat back down and pulled out a menu. They all stared at her in shock.

"You were held hostage?" Keith roared. "And what do you mean emergency surgery? When were you going to tell me about this?"

"I think I'm going for the hot apple pie ala mode." Veronica added sweetly. Keith wrung his napkin at her avoidance.

"Ronnie? You are a badass." Dick commented. "I'm going to have chocolate silk. How 'bout you, Sweets?" He turned to his wife and kissed her temple. The kiss pulled Mac out of her trance-like state.

"Uh, yeah. Sure. Chocolate Silk."

"How about my BFF? What'll it be? Egg Cream? Peach cobbler?"

"I'm so sorry, Veronica." Wallace apologized, sincerely.

"Okay, but you're not getting any of my pie." Veronica said in a sing-song voice.

"I think we should talk about this, V." He attempted.

"Well, I can't imagine why you wouldn't want dessert, Wallace." Seeing the annoyance on three out of four faces, she relented. "Look, I said no discussion. It happened. It's over. It's not something I'm able to discuss, partly because the trial date isn't for a month. So, please respect my wishes and drop it."

"So, Bball. How's work?" Dick asked.

"Crazy." Wallace answered. "Busy."

"Can I offer you any desserts or coffee?" The waitress asked.

"Yes, please! Hot apple pie ala mode." Veronica smiled.

"Two Chocolate Silk pie pieces." Dick pointed to Mac and himself.

"Egg Cream." Keith answered, still wringing his napkin.

"Uh, a piece of Peach Cobbler, please." Wallace added.

Once the waitress had gone, they continued chatting about their day to day lives. When their desserts came they ate in uncomfortable silence.

"So, Ronnie. No goodbye kiss for Logan?" Dick asked when the silence became unbearable.

"Dick!" Mac swatted at his arm.

"What? Like you weren't thinking it."

"Gosh, Dick. I thought once you married Mac Attack your insane jealousy of anyone Logan dated would end." Veronica challenged.

"So, you're DATING LOGAN?"

"You're dating again?"

"You and Logan are DATING?"

"Dude, you two hooked up again, didn't you?"

Veronica's head spun at the rapidity of the questions. _I can't believe I just got myself into this._ "I didn't mean it like that. We dated. In the past. You and I had that witty banter about it. Remember?" She said to Dick.

"Right. That's what you meant." Dick answered sarcastically.

**

* * *

**

"Veronica, I'm going over to Rebecca's. You and I should talk in the morning. You have a key to get in?" Keith said as he pulled up to the apartment complex.

"Yeah."

"Get some sleep. You look tired."

"Okay. Night, Dad." She gave him a sheepish smile.

"Night, Kiddo."

Relieved to be out of the awkward silence of the car, she walked up the stairs and sighed. She smiled as she noticed her dad wait for her to get safely inside. Backup was waiting, excitedly pacing for her, so she decided to take him out for a run on the beach. She pulled her jacket off and went into the bedroom to put her shoulder holster back on. Defensive training for the FBI had taught her enough to know that her size made it very difficult to fend off large attackers. She more than compensated with her excellent marksmanship skills. She picked up the gun, checked the safety, and placed it securely into the holster. She put her jacket back on, checked her brown wig was on straight, and brought the dog outside.

"It's a little late for a walk, don't you think?"

"Wallace!" She shrieked "You scared me!" She punched his shoulder. "I've got Backup. We'll be fine."

"You're supposed to be lying in a hospital. You're wearing a wig! Somehow I think that means you don't want people to know you're here. Which means someone is looking for you."

"I can take care of myself." She assured him.

"Yeah. You're Veronica Mars. At least let me walk with you."

"Fine, but any sign of trouble and you get the dog. I'm carrying, so I'll make sure we all get out of there with guns blazing." They headed out of the complex.

"That's not funny."

"You and my dad. No senses of humor."

"Look, I came because I feel really bad. I was out of line. I thought you were ditching us and it hurt, so I was mean. I'm sorry."

"It's okay. I get it. I'm sorry I missed the dinners."

"But see, you're not allowed to be sorry because then I'll feel worse for making you feel guilty about the dinners."

"Just say you miss me and we'll call it a draw." She put her left arm around his back.

"I missed you. No one makes me Snickerdoodles anymore." He teased and put his arm around her too. "Oh man. You really do have a gun!"

"Yeah. It's an FBI thing." She smiled. "Are we okay?"

"Of course we are, Superfly. So, do you have a scar from getting shot?"

"Yep. On my shoulder. Wanna see?"

"Will I get all grossed out by seeing any of your girly parts?"

"Um, no." She moved her clothing and showed him the scar.

"Damn! Did it hurt?"

"Like hell. But, I didn't cry." She bragged. "Hey, Do you know when the wedding is?"

"Your dad told you my mom is engaged?"

"Your mom is engaged? Wow. Who's the guy?"

"Who were you talking about?"

"My dad."

"Your dad asked Miss James to marry him?! Man, that was fast. My mom's fiancé is Michael Walker. He works with her at Kane."

"Was it fast? I didn't even know they were dating. I don't know anything about it, really. Just that he's engaged."

"Well, when I saw them out on a date like a month ago, it seemed to me that it was a new thing. But maybe they were going out longer than that. I just know he's been asking me about you a lot more lately."

"Ever since our big fight, my dad and I haven't really been talking much. But how could he not tell me this? I mean, I know he's mad at me and he wants me out of the Bureau and all that. But why would he be like this?"

"I don't know, Veronica. I can't believe he's getting married. When I told him my mom was engaged, he seemed shocked. He definitely didn't act like someone who had news to share. And that was about a month and a half ago."

"So, tell me Mr. Fennell. How's the love life?"

"Lately, I've been too busy with the work business to work on the lady business."

"What happened to my BFF? You were my source for juicy macking stories. Now who am I going to live vicariously through?"

Twenty minutes of chatting, laughing, and dog walking brought them back to the apartment where they said a quick goodbye. She went inside and sat down to watch a movie with Backup curled up next to her.

"_Veronica Mars!"_

"_Lilly? Oh my God, I miss you!" She rushed over and hugged Lilly, who was wearing a hot pink shrug over a white tank top, matched with jeans._

"_Well, of course you do! It's been a long time. Do you realize that sometimes, when you're searching for an answer, you should be searching for two?"_

"_What? Lilly, what does that mean? What are you talking about?"_

"_Sit down, Bitch!" Lilly yelled in a voice that didn't belong to her, or any other female, for that matter. Suddenly Veronica was tied to a chair and gagged and her shoulder was burning with pain. Veronica looked and saw the scarlet blood dripping down. Panic flooded over Veronica as she struggled to get free and she screamed out._

Veronica shot up from the couch to find Backup growling at her cautiously. "It's okay, boy."

**

* * *

**

As he moved to open the passenger door for her, he paused with his hand on the car door. He took in the scent of her hair as he hovered closely over her. He'd been attempting to be strong for her, for THEM, but the thought of keeping that mask up for even another second made him want to scream. He made eye contact with her and realized she'd been watching him falter. He saw the sadness in her eyes and it was too much for him. The last straw. He backed away from her and the car.

"Cin." He spoke so softly she wasn't sure she'd actually heard him. She looked up at him curiously. "I can't go home right now. I need to clear my head." The wounded look on her face told him he'd need to go into further detail. "Babe, it's not you. But, I'm gonna fall apart and I can't put that on you. You have too much on your plate already." He turned and walked away from her. Tears streamed down her face instantly and she rushed to follow him. To catch up to him. To stop him.

"Richard Alan Casablancas if you think for one second you're going to leave me here, you are seriously mistaken." She paled upon seeing the tears freely falling from his face.

"Mackie, you're the only good thing I have left. I can't bring you down with me." He pleaded. "I love you too much for that."

"There was a line in our vows, Dick. Something about good times and BAD. This is what that means. It means WE deal TOGETHER." His eyes softened.

"I really just need to go to the beach or something."

"Then you're in luck. I happen to be married to this guy who spends a LOT of time there. I know just where it is." She held her hand out for him and he took it, squeezing so tightly he was afraid he'd hurt her. She just squeezed right back.

Fifteen minutes later, they were sitting in the sand by a lifeguard tower with their arms wrapped tightly around each other. They were staring out across the ocean that was dimly lit by the moon. She was running her fingers through his shaggy blond hair in a comforting manner. His tears still ran freely and neither of them had spoken.

"You guys deserve better. I'm not a good person." He finally spoke his fears aloud.

"What on earth are you talking about?"

"What kind of a guy, when his mom is dying in the hospital, is stressing about a woman?"

"You totally lost me."

"When I went to open the car door back at the diner, all I could think about was that I wanted to tear your clothes off right there in the parking lot. I'm supposed to figure out how to be a parent to my brother and sister, but all I want is to have sex with you. You have all this crazy work stuff on top of everything else and I'm only thinking about myself. I suck."

"Are you kidding me?"

"See! I'm telling you. I'm a selfish jackass!"

"That's not what I mean. Are you telling me you think I should be mad at you for wanting to have sex with me?"

"Well, aren't you?"

"Dick." Mac laughed. "I'm going to blame this temporary bout with insanity on the fact that you're stressed out. Think about it. We usually have sex like what? Once a day?" He smirked at her. "Sometimes more." She allotted. "And since the accident two weeks ago, we haven't at all."

"Are you saying you want to have sex?" Dick said with a grin growing on his face.

"I'm actually saying I'm glad you want to have sex. It means you still kinda want me."

"There's no kinda about it, baby." He sighed, resting his head on her shoulder. She smiled.

"I have to tell you something and the timing probably couldn't be worse, but I can't keep sitting on this by myself."

"What's up?" He asked, moving to look in her eyes. Her shift in tone left him unsettled. He rubbed his thumbs gently over her cheeks to wipe away the tears she'd begun crying again.

"I saw a doctor today and he confirmed my suspicions. And it's ridiculous, y'know? As if we don't have enough to deal with. Dick, I'm pregnant."

"What?!"

**

* * *

**

Logan searched for a shirt when he heard the gentle knocking at his door. A quick glance at the clock on the nightstand told him not to bother. _Anyone who knocks at 2:34 am doesn't get to complain about what I am wearing._ He left the bedroom portion of his suite and walked to the door, where he looked through the peephole at a blonde who looked less than happy, standing in the hallway wearing a jacket over her pajamas.

"I was hoping it would be you." He smiled as he opened the door enough to let her in. "Otherwise, I'm just a tad underdressed for company." She looked at his appearance wistfully as she brushed past him into the room. He shut the door behind him and caught her staring in the general direction of the waist of his flannel pajama pants. He grinned. She caught herself and moved her eyes up to his.

"When did you start wearing glasses?" She asked as she noticed the black plastic framed glasses perched on his nose.

"Oh." He reached up and pulled them off. "They're for reading." He folded the glasses and stared at her.

"Oh. They look good. Make you look smart or something." She proffered.

"Thanks. That's what I was aiming for." He kept staring.

"What'cha reading? Some huge obscure novel that you can wow people with quotes from?"

He laughed. "No. Files. I do have a job to do after all."

"Right. Of course. Any leads?"

"Veronica, as much as I'd like to entertain your fascination with what I'm doing, I say we stop this charade. To what do I owe the pleasure of your company at two thirty in the morning?"

"My dad's staying at his fiancée's house and…"

"Fiancée?"

"Yeah. Apparently he got back together with Miss James."

"The Neptune High guidance counselor?"

"Yeah. I found out about her right before dinner."

"I can see where that would be disconcerting for you."

"Anyway. He wasn't at the apartment. And I had a nightmare. And because last night was the first night I didn't have a nightmare since the incident, I was wondering if you wouldn't mind…Never mind. I'm changing my mind mid-sentence. I should go." She started to head for the door when he grabbed her hand and pulled her with him to the bedroom. Without letting go, he closed up the files on his bed and tossed them to the couch. He turned to face her and used his free hand to smooth the hair from her face. He removed the bag from her shoulder and gently took her coat off.

"I'm gonna leave the light in the other room on so this room won't get too dark, okay?" He said gently. Her face crumpled up and she bit her lip to prevent the crying from starting. She nodded her head. He turned off the light on the nightstand and pulled the covers down on the bed. He climbed inside and carefully pulled her with him. She nuzzled up against his chest and he wrapped his arms around her. He kissed the top of her head and whispered happy memories to her until she'd fallen asleep. "God, I love you, Veronica" He whispered before he fell asleep. _Me too, Logan._


	13. Relationship Shuffle

A/N: Hey! Thank you all SOO much for your reviews you're really keeping me going! They are AWESOME!! This chapter is just a bit too fluffy, but it sets up the next bit, so it had to be done. I hope you enjoy. I promise more on the case next time. (

* * *

"Logan." Veronica grumbled. "Logan!" She pushed him. "Logan." She whined. "Logan, answer the phone. It won't stop ringing. Make it stop." She complained as she snuggled back into his chest.

"What?" He mumbled sleepily.

"Answer the damn phone!" She slapped his chest a little harder than she intended.

"Ow!" He growled and he reached over her and grabbed the phone from the nightstand. "It's six in the morning. This better be an emergency." He grumbled into the receiver.

"Logan? It's Keith. You didn't answer your cell phone."

"Because I was sleeping." Logan yawned.

"Look, I don't know where Veronica is. I know she's upset with me, but I'm worried. With you guys in hiding, I just need to know she's okay. Have you heard from her since dinner last night? Do you know where she might have gone?"

"She's here." Veronica's eyes opened unhappily.

"What?! What is she doing in your hotel room at six in the morning?"

"Sleeping. Like I would be if I wasn't on the phone."

"Do you really think it's wise to be a smart ass to me when you just told me you're sleeping with my only daughter?" Keith roared.

"She couldn't sleep and she didn't want to be alone. So she came here. I'm not about to disturb her since she hasn't had a good night's sleep in a month."

"How the hell do you know my daughter's sleep habits over the last month, Logan?"

"She told me." He stated calmly and quietly as Veronica was staring at him.

"When she wakes up let her know I want to have breakfast with her."

"We didn't get to sleep until after three, so I'm not waking her up until at least ten." Veronica looked at Logan like he was crazy. "But when she does wake up, I'll tell her."

"I'm not happy with you right now, Logan. We will discuss this later."

"Good night, Keith." He hung up the phone. "Don't look at me like that." He said at her look of awe and closed his eyes.

"You just told MY DAD that you are sleeping with me?"

"Yes. But in all fairness, YOU made me answer the phone at six in the morning."

"So, at six in the morning your death wish tendency is more prevalent?"

"No, my desire to be asleep is."

"Actually, it's kind of hot." She realized out loud.

"Sleeping? Yes, it is." He snuggled into her neck.

"No. You telling my dad off."

"If you weren't mad at your dad, I doubt you'd find it so amusing. You'd probably just chew me out and tell me to call him back and say I was sleeping on the couch." He still didn't open his eyes, but moved to lie flat on his back. She smiled at him and bit her bottom lip as she thought about how attractive she found him. "You're not sleeping." He said after two minutes of her staring at him. She blushed intensely as she realized where her thoughts had traveled.

"Nope."

"Why are you staring at me? You should go back to sleep." He whispered.

"Logan?" She questioned sweetly in an attempt to get him to open his eyes. It worked and he lifted his head to look at her. She put her left hand behind his head and pulled him into a searing kiss.

"Veronica." He sighed as he lightly pushed her away. "Veronica, stop." He added as she tried to pull him back. She fell backwards, looking rejected. "I can't do this. If you keep going, I won't be able to stop."

"I wasn't planning on stopping." She complained.

"Look, no offense, but I can't handle being friends with benefits, Veronica. My heart is way too invested, and I have no control when it comes to you. Especially not at six in the morning." _Holy shit, did I really just say that? It's gotta be sleep deprivation._

"You just don't get it, Logan. I don't want to be friends with benefits, either. But this thing between us it just doesn't go away. I compare every guy I meet to you. But of course, no one measures up. When I was held captive, I kept dreaming about you. It's always you, Logan. And no offense, but you can't blame me for being mad at you yesterday."

"I don't blame you for any of it, Veronica. I'm just saying I'm not going to let us jump back into things with all that heat and passion when every time we do we both end up broken-hearted and alone."

"So, where does that leave us? Because, I really feel like I should kiss you right now, because you're amazing, but…" _Come ON, Logan. Can't you see how much I want you?_

"You're going to call me a girl after I say what I'm about to say."

"What are you about to say."

"I just can't do the couple stuff if we're not an actual couple."

"So, what, you want me to ask you out? Because, if you're interested in proving you aren't the girl in this relationship, making me ask you out is not the way to do it."

"Are you saying if I did ask you out that you'd say yes?"

"I'm better when I'm with you, Logan. I smile more. I laugh more. I actually talk about things I'm thinking and feeling."

"Veronica, do you want to be my girlfriend?"

"On one condition."

"What? What condition?"

"Would you kiss me already?"

"Will you let me go back to sleep if I do?"

"We can go to sleep as soon after kissing as you want." He pulled her roughly over to him and gave her a quick peck. She'd anticipated his move, though, and moved so that she straddled his stomach and she leaned down and gave him another intensely passionate kiss. Forty-five minutes later, they both collapsed into a deep sleep.

**

* * *

**Logan came out of the bathroom after his shower and wasn't surprised when he found Veronica poring over a file in front of her. She was so engrossed in what she was reading, she hadn't noticed him come into the room. He laid the towel he was drying his hair with on the back of a chair and pushed the sleeves on his olive green tee shirt up to his elbows. He smiled upon seeing her furrowed brow. She was flipping furiously between two pieces of paper and a photo when he leaned down next to her and kissed the top of her head. 

"Something wrong?" He asked. A guilty expression fell upon her face.

"Sorry. I couldn't help myself. I only looked at my own file, though." He sat next to her on the couch.

"I expected you to look. I wouldn't have left them alone here with you if I had wanted to keep them from you." He assured. "You didn't look happy with that you were reading." He put his arm around her.

"I was on six out of the nine cases you are investigating!"

"Yeah." He nodded and nibbled on her ear.

"Doesn't that seem just a little too coincidental?"

"You aren't the only one. Four other people were on at least six of the cases." He started kissing her neck.

"Which four people?" She asked, flipping through more of her file. He sighed in defeat and stood up. He walked over to his bag and opened a zippered pouch that was hidden at the bottom. He pulled out a Pendaflex file. "You have secret compartments in your luggage?"

"How else would I be able to hide things from my nosy girlfriend?" He sat down with the file in his lap. He opened it and pulled out a list from the front.

"Have you told this nosy girlfriend about me?"

"Nah. She's the jealous type."

"Wow. Nosy and jealous? She sounds like a real keeper." Veronica stated, her teasing bordering into taking offense. "Does she have any other endearing qualities?"

"She fishes for compliments." He said pointedly. "She ignores my advances so she can needle information out of me. She refuses to ever be wrong about anything. She…" His list was interrupted when Veronica, who had her hand gently resting on his, grabbed his index finger and bent it backwards until he was writhing around to free himself. "Ow! Ow! Ow! She's the most beautiful woman I've ever laid eyes on! She's confident and sexy! Ow! Veronica, OW!" He laughed a bit, so that she knew it wasn't really hurting him. "She's smart and STRONG. Damn, Baby, that hurts! And I want nothing more than to tell her everything about the case!" Veronica let go of his hand and looked at him in mock curiosity.

"What's the matter, Logan? Why are you laying on the couch like that?" He responded with a withering glance as he rubbed his finger.

"That hurt." He pouted and didn't attempt to sit back up.

"Aww. Poor, baby. Want me to kiss it and make it better?"

"Yes." He griped. She gently pulled his hand to her mouth and kissed it. "Okay, now what about the emotional distress I am experiencing due to my horrific injury?" He pouted again, looking up at her from his place on the couch.

"Emotional distress from a strained finger? Considering what you've been through in your lifetime, that doesn't seem very likely." She skirted around his abusive past.

"I'm starting to make a correlation between pain and love. I mean, it seems like everyone who ever supposedly cared about me was determined to cause me as much pain, both physically and mentally as humanly possible. The emotional scarring as a result will probably land me in therapy for the rest of my life. Well, unless…Never mind. It's too much to ask of you." He started playing with a button on the couch, knowing if he made eye contact he'd lose all ability to hold in his laughter. A lot of what he'd said was in fact true for him, but he'd really already worked through most of it. She could see that he was mostly joking, but the fact that any of it was true for him got to her, so she caved.

"Unless what?"

"Don't worry about it. I was going to add that in the past, after getting hurt I would go to my girlfriend and she'd kiss me until I felt better. But, I could just go for my other standby and drink myself into a stupor."

"You had a lot of girlfriends in the past, Logan. How am I supposed to find her?"

"Sure, a lot of girls, but only one of them had the healing touch. God, it was like I could feel sparks when she touched me." He hinted. "Well, I'm going to go raid the mini bar. Want anything?"

She gave up. He'd won when he started pouting. She only kept up the banter because he was so cute laying there.

"Sure."

"What?" He asked, surprised she'd even held out this long. He looked up at her to find out what kind of drink she'd want at ten thirty in the morning. Just as he made eye contact, she closed the gap between them and kissed him passionately. She could tell he was caught off guard at first and she smiled when he realized what had happened because he pulled her further down so that she was lying on top of him. He wrapped his arms around her to prevent her from getting away too quickly. Once she'd initiated the kiss, she didn't want to stop. She put all her weight on her arms as she tried to move to a better angle to continue the assault on his mouth.

He wasn't sure what scared him more, her shriek or the fact that she crumpled down on top of him unexpectedly. She struggled to get off of him as she curled up in pain, clutching her shoulder.

"Oh, God. Baby, I'm so sorry! Are you okay?" He scrambled out from under her so she'd be able to lie flat on the couch.

"I'm okay." She gasped as her head fell to the couch and she rubbed her arm. "I just forgot that whole no pressure on the arm thing."

"Is there anything I can do? Do you want any painkillers or an ice pack or something?" He asked when he saw that the pain wasn't subsiding.

"Some ice would be good. But, I don't do painkillers."

"But, you're in pain. Why wouldn't you…" He stopped as he saw the answer on her face. "Are you saying you went through getting shot and a surgery without painkillers because of your mom?" She just gave him a look that clearly indicated she'd like him to drop it. "Because that kind of logic is the reason I've been sober for a year and a half." He admitted as he walked over to the small refrigerator and picked up the ice bucket on top. He then headed for the door as she watched him in confusion. _Wait, did he just say SOBER? Like not having any alcohol sober? What? Logan Echolls doesn't DRINK?_ After a few minutes he returned with ice and he went to the sink to dump some of the ice into a bag, which he slammed on the counter a few times. She looked at him curiously. "The smaller the pieces, the better it molds to the injury." He explained. "I'm kind of an expert at nursing wounds."

"Did you say sober, Logan?" She asked him softly when he knelt down next to her. He lightly kissed her shoulder before placing the ice on it delicately.

"Yes." He stated. "Is that better?" He brushed some hair from her face and tucked it behind her ear.

"Yes, thanks." She smiled. He placed a kiss on her forehead. "Logan. At my apartment you asked for liquor in your coffee."

"Actually, you offered it and I accepted. But, you may remember that I didn't in fact drink any of it."

"But, why did you accept it?"

"Because I'm a guy." She smirked up at him. "I really wanted to continue what we started on the beach."

"So? You could have said no and still continued."

"Veronica, did you ever see Logan Echolls turn down alcohol?"

"Well, no, not unless you needed to be alert to protect me."

"So, it's likely that if I had declined, you would have pressed the topic to find out why. Well, starting a conversation about my experience battling my demons would really only have resulted in delaying or worse, halting the fun."

"I guess I shouldn't be surprised that that is your answer. You did warn me that you were going to step up your game." She chuckled.

"So, Girlfriend. We should probably get you home before your dad orders a heat-seeking missile attack on me."

"If he's gonna kill you, it's more likely that he'll use a stolen gun, in a plastic-covered room so that he can get rid of all the evidence quick and easy."

"You're right. Missiles probably have major paper trails." He smiled. "Thanks for assuring me that he wouldn't want to kill me. It makes me feel much better."

"So, Boyfriend. Are you ready to perform your first boyfriendly task?"

"Uh, Veronica? I'm pretty sure the first task was what had you screaming a couple of hours ago." He said smugly.

"Hmm. Are you sure you should think of that as a task? Maybe you should consider that it was an opportunity that could easily become scarce."

"Sweet, darling, girlfriend? Name the task that I am to perform." He backtracked. She grinned at him.

"You're going to have breakfast with me and my dad." She said in a sugary sweet voice.

"Baby? Are you smoking crack? Did you suffer some head trauma in that abduction or something? Because you just said I should join a man who is fond of his firearms and his only daughter, his pride and joy, in a meal only hours after telling him I had defiled said daughter. I thought you frowned upon my self-destructive behavior."

"All kidding aside? I need you there." She watched his face fall. She knew that it was a low blow to use the need word. Many of their fights in the past had been about her inability to admit she needed him. "He's not going to let the abduction subject go. And I'm not allowed to talk about it until the trial's over."

"So, why would I come in handy? You want to pick a fight with your dad about something else, like oh, say, your lecher of a boyfriend? She sat up finally and pulled him closer.

"I read your ID. You have a higher clearance than I do and you outrank me." She pulled him by his shirt and kissed him as if that were an explanation.

"So?"

"Are you under a gag order?"

"Not currently."

"So then, you are free to talk about one of your cases in a hypothetical conversation with a friend, right?'

"You want me to tell your dad what happened to you?"

"See! You're not just pretty! You've got smarts too."

"And apparently a death wish."

"Hmm. In that case, I should probably get a few more kisses in before we go."

"Definitely more kissing. And maybe a shot of tequila to dull the self-preservation instinct I'm feeling to run for Mexico."

"Ah, but you don't drink anymore."

"Shit. Okay, double that kissing."

**

* * *

**Dick woke up with a smile on his face for the first time in two weeks. He stretched his arms up above his head, smacking the headboard accidentally. He flinched, as he wasn't sure if the mass tangled in the comforter next to him was still asleep. He looked at her gingerly and noticed her trying not to laugh at him with her eyes closed. 

"Woman! Go make me some breakfast." He commanded.

"Ha!" She scoffed. He leaned over and kissed her forehead.

"Morning."

"Question, Dick."

"Hmm?" He asked, knowing she was about to tease him.

"How long ago did we get this bed?"

"I don't remember. I know it was after we broke the other one, though." He added suggestively.

"A year and a half ago, Dick. A couple months before the wedding."

"Your point, Dear?" He answered, sarcastically.

"When are you going to stop smacking the headboard as you stretch in the morning? It happens almost every day!"

"Well, are you ever going to share the blankets? I'm thinking of getting my own so that when you've stolen them, like you do every night, I'll have the opportunity to be warm at the same time as I'm sleeping."

"Aww. Baby, are you cold?"

"Depends. Are you going to offer to warm me up or tell me to go make the coffee?"

"Actually, I can't have coffee anymore. So I suppose I can offer you the warmth thing." He grinned in response. She wasn't sure how he accomplished it, but in one move, he landed her on top of him and the covers over them both.

"Mmmh. Much better." He mumbled into her shoulder as he started kissing. "Wait." He realized and he stopped. "No coffee? How will you survive? Isn't that like your oxygen?"

"I'm not supposed to have caffeine at all. And my guess is, I'll probably start having withdrawals any minute now."

"No caffeine? Are there any other rules? You're still allowed to have sex, right? Because if not, I really messed that up last night."

"Three times." She smiled.

"Three and a half if you count the beach." He said proudly.

"If we ever see that little old couple that caught us, I'll either die of embarrassment or I'll kill you."

"Kill me first so I don't have to stick around without you." He hugged her tightly and rested his palm on her back at the top of the boxers she was wearing. "Love you."

"I love you, too." She responded and kissed him gently. She then placed her palm on his right shoulder blade. Under their hands hid matching half heart tattoos.


	14. A Simple Quiet Breakfast edited

A/N: This section was really hard to write for some reason...so, I'd really like comments. Also, it's a lot longer than normal because I couldn't break it up. I'm not sure if I like it or not. Thanks for all of your comments so far, they make me sooo happy.

Oh, and there's EXTREME language in this one. I toiled over keeping it or not, but it seemed right, so I did.

**slightly edited to fix typographical and date errors**

* * *

"Veronica, are you sure you wouldn't rather skip to Mexico? Or maybe I could go get that root canal I've been thinking about?" He asked, desperately, trying for it to sound funny instead of terrified.

"Logan? Man up. Don't be such a chicken." She chided. She watched as he was tossing things around the back of the Escalade. "What are you looking for anyway?"

"I could have sworn I left a bullet proof vest in here."

"Very funny." She grabbed one of the belt loops on his jeans and pulled him backwards to her. He turned to face her with raised eyebrows. With her free hand, she wagged her index finger at him, indicating she wanted him to come closer. She cocked her head at exactly the angle that made her completely irresistible. He rubbed his neck to disguise the fact that he was scanning the parking lot for any unwanted attention. When he found no signs anyone spying on them, he leaned down so that his face was only millimeters away from hers. She made like she was about to kiss him, then started to whisper, "Don't worry, Babe. The hospital is about six minutes away. I can get you there in three." She attempted to pull away from him, but he had already pulled her closer to his body, his strong hands, firm on her hips.

"Tease." He said, gruffly into the spot on her neck that made her knees go weak. He let her go and turned to grab a black leather messenger bag and swung the strap over his shoulder. He shut the back door and leaned against it, eyeing her appraisingly. He crossed his arms in front of his chest.

"What are you doing?" She quizzed.

"Awaiting instructions."

"What?"

"Every other time I was invited to dine with you and your dad, you gave me a list of acceptable conversation topics, or forbidden phrases, or approved physical gestures. So, how am I to behave?"

"Logan." She chastised.

"I'm serious. Do you want me to be the boyfriend who's pissed off at him for the way he's treating you? Or, I could play the apathetic FBI agent who could care less about this familial drama. AM I even your boyfriend or is this a big secret?" He TRIED not to sound bitter.

"I'm just in the mood for Logan." She sighed. She stretched up and kissed him reassuringly. They both stood up away from the Escalade and faced the restaurant. Veronica held her right hand out daringly and looked up at him expectantly. He looked down at her in confusion, but gently took her hand. She squeezed it the same way he had squeezed hers when they moved into his Un-Birthday party all those years ago. He smiled at the thought.

"My firing squad awaits." Logan charged and they moved toward the restaurant. Keith was waiting at a table in the back room where they could have a conversation away from random listeners. Upon seeing Logan, his face first fell, then twisted in anger, then returned to his stoic poker face.

"Good morning!" Veronica spouted cheerfully. "Sleep well?" She scooted into the middle of the booth, once she'd let go of Logan's hand. He sat down next to her gingerly, examining Keith's expression.

"Still brown-haired Veronica." Keith acknowledged. "I see you've brought Logan to our father-daughter breakfast." Logan paled at his chilly reception. He looked to Veronica.

"Right. Well, Dad, I wanted to be sure I let you know that Logan is now my boyfriend. It's a new development, and I wouldn't want to keep you in the dark or anything." Keith's jaw clenched as he stared at his daughter. He tried to remind himself that she was entirely justified at lashing out. Logan let out the breath he was holding. Sure, he was mad at Keith for the way he'd been treating her, but it didn't feel good to be the weapon she used to hit back with. He gave her a cautionary glance. She could see he wasn't pleased to become a pawn.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't be using Logan to express my anger." She reached over and placed her hand on his thigh in apology. Two sets of eyes widened in surprise at her apology and stared at her. Logan placed his hand on hers as an acceptance.

"So, why'd you bring him?" Keith was still hurt that she was avoiding being alone with him. They were Keith and Veronica. They'd been to hell and back at least twice. She was his little girl. His stubborn, headstrong unwilling to listen to reason little girl. He immediately remembered the day it'd all gone wrong.

"_Veronica, what do you mean you want me to go see her?!"_

"_Dad, she really is doing better!"_

"_This is the woman who abandoned you. Then, she took your college money, then stole fifty thousand dollars and wasted it all away on booze and drugs. How can you possibly consider seeing her? And why in the hell do you think I would ever consider seeing her again?"_

"_She's Mom." Veronica explained. "I would never give up on her. Just like if it was you. I would NEVER give up on you. Can't you understand that?"_

"_Lianne and I will never get back together."_

"_I didn't say I wanted you to. I just said it might be nice if you came with me to visit her."_

"_How did you even find her?"_

"_I was in the hospital overnight after I got a mild concussion during an altercation. I bumped into her in the hallway when she was going to visit a friend."_

"_Concussion?!" He grimaced. "You spent a night in the hospital? What happened?"_

"_It was just a precaution. I was fine."_

"_Veronica! That's your fourth injury! You've only been an agent for a year!"_

Keith knew he shouldn't have picked that FBI fight. It was what she'd worked her whole life for. How could he expect her to give it up? But he needed to get her off the Lianne subject. Then suddenly he'd demanded she quit. _No wonder your daughter is sitting here seething in anger, Keith. How many more ways can you insult her?_

"I needed him to be here." He looked at her face and knew that this was all he would get. It broke his heart that the wall she built around herself now blocked him out. Seeing what everyone else had seen all those years nauseated him. He finally understood what they meant about her being closed off to the world. When he could no longer take looking at her, he chanced a glance at Logan. Logan was watching Veronica with such love and tenderness that bile rose in his throat. Then Logan caught Keith's glance. Keith could see the wave of pity in his eyes. _How horrible am I that Logan Echolls pities me? Damn it._

"So. Tell me about the abduction. I am your father. Fifth Amendment rights do not exist."

Veronica flipped her hand and laced her fingers with Logan's. He looked at her for permission and she nodded timidly. He took a deep breath and pulled a file out of the bag next to him. She looked at it and realized why her file hadn't mentioned the abduction. It obviously had its own file.

"Do you want me to talk to him alone, or do you want to stay?" Logan asked her sweetly, knowing her answer, but giving her the option anyway.

"I'll stay." She nodded, but her voice cracked a little.

"If you need me to stop, just let me know." She nodded in understanding. Keith watched this exchange with a mixture of anger and sorrow and a twinge of thankfulness that she had someone. Even if that someone was Logan.

"Keith." Logan cleared his throat. "I wanted to run a case by you. Of course, due to a standing gag order, I can't tell you any of the actual names. So, for the sake of clarity, I'm going to call my subject Veronica."

Keith and Veronica both snorted in laughter. Logan smiled inwardly at his successful attempt to lighten the mood. He opened the file as far away from her as he could. As traumatized as she obviously still was, she didn't need to be looking at the graphic photos. He'd only put the file in his trunk after he was so angry he couldn't see straight last night. Then an hour and a half later, she'd arrived at his door and he praised himself for not having it in the room.

"On August 24th, Veronica was in an undercover recon position with an Italian crime syndicate. Somehow, the boss got word that Veronica wasn't who she claimed to be. The trigger for his knowledge is still under investigation. The boss ordered her interrogation. One of his sons jumped Veronica as she was leaving a night club." He checked Veronica to make sure she was still okay.

"They apparently broke her nose before throwing her into a trunk, where they bound and gagged her, before taking her to an abandoned warehouse." Keith was trying to hide his utter disgust, but the fact that all color had drained from his face betrayed him. Veronica tightened her grip on Logan's hand. "Her partner found the car with her blood in the trunk and the Bureau believed she had probably been killed. Rather than blow the whole operation, her partner remained undercover and tried to find where they'd disposed of the body. It was five days before he found out she was alive, and then they found and rescued her." Logan flipped to another section of the file. "This part of the case is based on Veronica's debriefing interviews and some notes from expert witnesses." He explained.

"There's more?" Keith choked out.

"During her captivity, Veronica was, she was…" Logan faltered as his emotions were struggling to take over. "They threw her down onto a wooden chair. She was cuffed and tied to the chair and the captors took turns beating her and screaming at her to try and discover who she is. On the fourth day, they got fed up with her and the son shot her in the left shoulder, making sure to then dig the gun into the wound." He snarled. Veronica's head was drooping and Logan could see she was no longer handling the story well. He tossed the file over to Keith and turned his attention to her. "You okay?" He put his other hand over their entwined hands. She looked up at him and he saw her struggling to compose herself.

"Come here." He let go of her hand and pulled her closer. He wrapped an arm around her back. "It's okay. I've got you." He whispered in her ear. She inhaled his scent slowly. Logan had hugged her before she'd lost control and she had instantly calmed. _How does he do that?_ After a couple of minutes, Keith shut the file and pushed it back at Logan. From the look on his face, Logan knew he'd looked at the photos of Veronica's injuries.

"Now, I want to know why you're in hiding." He demanded. Logan released Veronica, as the subject was about to become serious again.

"I was told this peace-keeping mission was to take place over breakfast. I'm much more amiable when I'm well fed." Veronica joked.

"Ain't that the truth!"

Veronica stared open-mouthed between the two men, who had spoken in unison. "Aside from the fact that that's just creepy? Neither of you wants me to comment on any of your less than attractive characteristics."

"I'm hungry too." Logan replied. "Let's order."

"I'll go get the waitress. I told them not to disturb us until we were ready." Once they had placed their orders, Keith resumed his line of questioning. "Who is trying to find you?"

"If only we could tell you." Veronica answered cryptically.

"Cut the FBI secrecy crap, Veronica. I'm not in the mood."

"No, we really can't tell you." Logan attested. "Because we don't actually know."

"What do you mean?"

"We aren't even sure at this point if they are following me, her, or both of us. It's a working theory that it is related to my current case, but we're not firm on anything yet."

"Why are you working in Veronica's office?"

"Same old, same old. Leaks to the media, cases being ruined, secrets being sold."

"How big is your suspect list?"

"Wait, you know that Logan is OPR?"

"Uh, yeah." Keith answered. Logan squirmed a bit.

"Of course you do." Veronica chuckled, but Logan could see that she'd forced the laugh to cover her bitterness. He turned to look her straight on.

"I'm sorry." He opened. "And before you get any further, you should know that your dad pretty much knows everything. And…" Logan closed his eyes and sighed. "He's been to my place in Arlington, Veronica."

Veronica gulped and then she nodded slowly. This admission stung. "Mac and Dick have been there too." It wasn't a question. She was certain.

"Yeah." Logan added sadly.

"How 'bout Wallace? Your buddy, Weevil?"

"No. And please don't go there."

"What about Duncan?" She obviously still had some of that anger, she realized as she bit her lip.

"What?! Of course not!" He said, sounding plainly offended.

"That's right! I'm the only one he still has contact with." She challenged. "I need to use the restroom." She said to the two shocked faces staring at her. "Which means one of you has to move."

"What the hell do you mean you still have contact with him?" Logan growled.

"You can't seriously tell me you still talk to Duncan! He's a fugitive, Veronica!" Keith charged.

"Move!" Veronica pushed Logan. He wasn't expecting it, and was close enough to the edge, that she forced him out. He grabbed her by the elbow to prevent her from leaving. She glared up at him. "What pisses you off more, Logan? That it's a fugitive, or that it's Duncan?" She snapped as she removed his hand from her arm and stormed off to the bathroom.

"She's kidding, right? This is some nightmare and any minute now Tony Gwynn will come in and ask for a hamburger?" Keith asked in shock.

"Fuck!" Logan slammed his hand against the wall.

"Logan." Keith warned. Logan withered down onto the booth.

"Fuck me." Logan continued. He held his head in his hands. "Oh, fuck. Tell me I don't have to fucking arrest my girlfriend!"

"She's smarter than that. I just know it. She's obviously not telling us something." Keith offered, grasping at straws.

"Like the fact that she's talking to fucking Duncan?"

"God, how the hell did I raise a child who has absolutely no concept of consequenses?"

"There's a reason I'm not drowning myself in Bourbon right now, right?"

"If you get drunk, she could take you, then she'd run, and then where would we be?"

"Yeah. She'd run to fucking Duncan." Logan grimaced. "Oh, fuck. Please tell me I don't have to arrest my fucking girlfriend!" The waitress came in with their plates nervously, and put them down quickly.

"Need anything else?" She asked timidly.

"No." Logan stated.

"Thank you." Keith added. Logan began staring at the door, waiting for Veronica's return. The sight of her both calmed him and agitated him. She walked up to the table and slammed a file down on top of her file.

"You don't have to arrest your fucking girlfriend." She stated factually and both men showed visible relief. "And if you'd read my file more carefully, you'd know that. Not that I wouldn't be justified in keeping something from the people who have been lying to me for the last three years." She added turning to Keith. "But the FBI is fully aware of my communications from Duncan Kane." Logan grabbed the file and opened it roughly. He flipped to the section he'd skipped on his first read through. He quickly skimmed the section on the Kane family.

"She's been getting emails from him about four times a year. All untraceable by the FBI's elite hacking team. It started while she was in The Academy and she reported the first email about twelve hours after receiving it. The emails don't mention locations, just memories. No mention of his daughter." Logan explained to Keith as he finished looking the file over. "Where'd you get the file from?" He asked as he turned back to Veronica.

"From the Escalade." She answered like it was obvious.

"You jimmied your way in?" He asked in confusion.

"Yeah, because I'm a criminal." She quipped as she held up his keys. "You should really pay better attention to your pockets when someone bumps into you." She held them out for him to retrieve. When he reached over for them, she pulled the keys away and grabbed his hand with her other hand. "May I sit back down, please? My food is getting cold." She inquired sweetly.

"Oh, yeah. Sorry." He stood up to let her back in the booth. She handed him the keys and squeezed his hand reassuringly. He tried to mask his look of confusion with a tight smile. Once they had sat back down, she let go of his hand, which scared him for the full second it took her to grab her fork.

"So, you're engaged. When's the big day?" She asked with a large smile on her face before she shoveled hash browns into her mouth.

"We haven't actually set a date yet." Keith said, as he eyed her cautiously. Her transition into happiness baffled both males. "We wanted to wait at least until we talked to you."

"Well, I'm personally a big fan of spring weddings. That way, you can use wildflowers and girls can come in sun dresses." She scooped up some eggs and forked them into her mouth. Both men stared at her in disbelief. "What?" She asked with a mouthful.

"Don't take this the wrong way, Sweetie. But, have you been tested for bipolar disorder?" Logan teased in an unnaturally sugary voice.

"Well, surly wasn't working so well for me this morning, so I decided to try another method. But, if Bitchy Veronica is what you guys want, I'll be glad to bring her back."

"Veronica, I'm sorry I didn't tell you about Rebecca. But, it's not like we had a whole lot of communication happening lately. And I know you were going to be disappointed because of your mom, so I…"

"Dad. You seriously don't get it. I don't want you and mom back together. I want you both to be happy. And neither of you would be happy together. I just think it would be nice if you could get along. I think she wants to apologize to you."

"Right."

"Well, she apologized to me. About a hundred times, actually. I'm not saying I believe she's on the straight and narrow, now, but she does seem to be trying. I met her sponsor and I went to an AA meeting with her."

"I can't forgive her for what she's put you through, Veronica. It's not going to happen."

"What she put me through is my choice to forgive or not." Veronica stated calmly. "Not yours."

"You sound like an adult." Keith smiled sadly. "Don't forget you're still my little girl." Veronica chuckled lightly. "Which reminds me." He said, suddenly briskly. "Logan?" Logan choked a little on his pancake and looked at Keith timidly. "I appreciate that you are protective of my daughter."

"You do?"

"Yes. But if you ever speak to me like you did on the phone this morning? You'll WISH death was what I have planned for you."

Logan nodded in reply, fear evident on his face. Veronica smirked at her father.

"So, Dad. I hear Mrs. Fennell is engaged too. Is there something in the water around here?" She quizzed, watching him carefully. She saw the dark look pass over his eyes, then the steely resolve replaced it.

"If there is, you'd better not be drinking any." He joked with her. "In fact, neither of you is allowed any water for the rest of your time in Neptune." They all laughed and continued eating and gossiping about the goings-on in Neptune. As they were about to pay, Logan received a call from Kelly and he went outside for some privacy.

"When you were in Virginia did you meet Kelly, Jeff, and Kylie?" Veronica asked her dad, adding Jeff and Kylie at the last second. Keith noticed the hesitation.

"Yeah. Logan is amazing with Kylie. And she's adorable. Jeff seems nice, but he was working on this thing for his doctorate thing, so I didn't see much of him.

"I talked to him on Logan's phone. He's funny." Veronica stated, disappointed that he hadn't mentioned Kelly.

"I guess. I thought Kelly was really funny. And she's really syrupy sweet. She treats Logan like a little brother. She kind of babies him. It's funny." He added for his daughter's benefit. He saw the jealousy in her eyes melt a little and he felt better.

"So, what should I make for dinner tonight?"

"Nothing, Sweetie. I've got it covered."

"At least let me make Mac's or something since she's a vegetarian."

"I've got her covered too. All I want from you is for you to be there." He leaned over and hugged her lightly until she returned it with more force. "I need to get some stuff done at work. Can I leave you here with Logan?" he said after a while.

"I could help you if you want."

"I'd rather you two figure out your own case so I can stop worrying."

"Like you'd ever stop worrying."

"I've taught you well, daughter." Keith left cash on the table and walked Veronica out to a cross-looking Logan, pacing while talking on the phone. Keith said a quick goodbye to her and she leaned against the Escalade holding his messenger bag that now held both files. She watched Logan in curiosity. He pushed a button and the doors unlocked so she could get in. She frowned, realizing he didn't want her listening, but moved to get in anyway. After a few minutes, he joined her and began bouncing his left leg, sub-consciously. The tension radiated from him and made her nervous.

"That good, huh?"

"What?" He questioned absently.

"The news from Kelly is obviously so good you are literally bouncing off the walls and have forgotten about me."

"Tell me again about Casey Gant, Veronica."

"What? He went to school with us. He was a friend of both of ours. And, oh shit, why do you want to know about Casey?"

"I'd just like to know why a guy you casually know and did a case for once, would be calling you every couple of hours for two days and leaving messages that refer to you as Sweetstuff."

"Oh." She sighed. "He is?"

"Yes." He spoke through gritted teeth.

"Well, when I ran into him a year ago, we might have also gone on a few dates that I omitted from what I already told you."

"Why wouldn't you tell me?"

"I didn't want to unleash your jealousy over a guy who is just a friend."

"His messages don't sound like messages from a buddy, Veronica."

"We aren't dating!" She asserted. "We went on a couple dates and then he said he couldn't keep pretending. A week later the photo of you and me came in the mail. He wrote a letter on the back of it." She waited for a response but didn't receive one. "It said 'I wish things were different, but there's no way I'll ever compare to him. Find him and fight to get this back'."

"Get what back?" He asked urgently, turning to face her.

"Look, Logan. I'm sorry I didn't volunteer info about Casey, but I mean, it's a little intense on the first day I see you in three years to tell you that I got dumped by one of our friends because I'm still in love with you. And I…I didn't…want…" Her voice failed her as she realized what she'd just confessed. Logan's heart leapt into his throat.

_I'm still in love with you, too, Veronica! I love you so much it hurts to breathe without you. God, that's the most amazing thing I've heard in pretty much ever. God, it's about freaking time! She loves me!! I'm not really hearing the Hallelujah Chorus, am I? Oh, damn. I haven't said anything. The silence is killing me. Say something, Logan! Say ANYTHING. Form a word and SPEAK. Don't leave her hanging!_

_He's not saying anything. Maybe he missed it. What am I thinking? This is Logan. He doesn't miss anything. He knows what I'm thinking. Oh, God. He doesn't want to go there. It's way too soon. What was I thinking? That's it. I wasn't thinking. I just blew it entirely._

"Did I get any calls from anyone else?" She finally recovered.

_Damn it all to hell! Way to blow it, dumbass. Now she'll never say it again._

"What? Oh, um, yeah." He stuttered. He pulled a handwritten list from his pocket and handed it to her. "Kelly said she's impressed with your passwords, by the way. And she wanted me to let you know she hates that she had to check your messages, but we think we know who's following you. Oh, and she checked your emails too."

"Who is following me?" She asked, looking up from the longer than she expected list.

"We think it's Seth." He spat out. "And I know you're probably thinking that I only focused on Seth because I'm jealous. And it's true, I did tell her to focus on Seth, but not because I'm jealous. Because, he's shady, Veronica. I didn't like him before I even knew who he was. And then the way he talked to you and the things you said he did. It just didn't feel right."

"What proof do you have that it's him?" Veronica challenged. "It just didn't feel right doesn't hold up in court."

"Well, the guy following us? Rather, the guy I saw across the street from your place looked a little like Seth, but he was pretty far away and had a hat on, so I couldn't be sure. And I know you don't want me to be right, but I know I am."

"I need proof, Logan. Not your assumptions."

"Can you think of any time since you've had that phone that Seth would have opened it up?"

"He used it to call work once while I was cooking a week ago."

"I mean open the back where the SIM card is."

"No. It's new. I only got it three weeks ago."

"His thumb print is on the battery."

"Son of a bitch. Y'know, you'd think my dad would have left me or beat me or molested me or something." She sighed.

"What? Why?"

"It would explain why I have the world's worst taste in men."

"In all fairness, I think it's safe to say Lilly had worse taste in men than you. But then, I'm on both of your lists, so maybe you're tied." Logan sneered.

"Logan, do you realize that you're the good guy on my list? You've never possibly been my brother, you've never sort of raped me, you're not wanted by the FBI for kidnapping, fleeing the country with a minor, and for questioning in a murder investigation. You've never been convicted of a felony. You're not a drug addict. You've never joined a cult. And you've never tried to completely sabotage my career and engaged in a high speed car chase pursuing me."

"Thank you for saying 'convicted' of a felony. I'm glad you focus on the immunity part and not the act itself." He joked sarcastically.

"Let's just say you're not the only one to make state's evidence disappear." She said proudly.

"When did YOU make state's evidence disappear?"

"I'm not saying it was ME." She chided. "But, hypothetically speaking, there could have been this time that a classmate was caught with drug paraphernalia in his locker."

"Like a bong, perhaps?" He deadpanned.

"Sure! Like a bong. Well, what if said-bong was in actuality rigged to start smoking with the push of a remote controlled device? It would have caused the fire department to go into the evidence locker."

"So, not only did you plant a bong in my locker, you were using me too?" He asked incredulously.

"Come on, Logan. Where's the proof that I planted a bong in your locker?!" She objected. "Anyway, if said-fire department were run by a friend of the mastermind, the Chief could easily have replaced oh, I don't know, say a video from a convenience store robbery?"

"Unbelievable." Logan shook his head.

"Go ahead, say it. You know you want to." She teased.

"Not gonna happen, Mars. I'm not going to say you're smarter than me."

"Even if you won't say it, that doesn't mean it's not true."

He exhaled loudly and shook his head.

"Let's go figure out how we're going to destroy Seth." She rubbed her hands together maniacally.

"I already told you. I'm gonna kick his ass." Logan finalized. "But we really need to figure out my case, first. Because there's no way that dumb ass is smart enough to be the leak."

"One thing before we get back to work?" She added.

"What?" He asked, but his word was lost as she had leaned over and kissed him. He gratefully returned the kiss and pulled her into his lap for better access.


	15. Unicorns and Unlikely Buds

**a/n: your feedback on the last chapter really made me feel better about it, so thanks. it's really surprised me that people are getting mad at some of the characters. i guess that means people are getting emotionally invested, so that's awesome. thanks! please keep the reviews up, they really help me to make sure i'm on track with my hints.**

**this chapter has some slightly more than mild language.**

* * *

"It's Olo Daddy!" The tiny blonde squealed and she clapped her hands in excitement. The man on the screen laughed heartily at her reaction.

"Yeah, Baby. Say 'hi' to Olo."

"Hi, Olo." She whispered and threw herself against her father, shyly.

"Kylie, you have to talk louder so he can hear you." Her father encouraged.

"Hi, Olo!" She yelled and waved.

Logan's grin spread as he watched her bouncing around on the screen in front of him. "Hey, Munchkin! How are you?" He adjusted the laptop monitor so he could see it better.

"I am good." Kylie nodded enthusiastically. "Olo, are you coming home today?"

"No, Kylie. I'm sorry. I'll be a few more days." He said as Veronica watched from next to him on the couch. She heard the sadness in his voice.

"Kylie. Isn't there something you want to tell Uncle Logan?" Jeff directed. She looked up at her dad and put her hand out in curiosity.

"I don't benember, Daddy." She shook her head and she turned back to the computer. "Who is that?" She pointed at the screen. Logan looked over at Veronica.

"Kylie, this is Veronica."

"Like Princess 'Nonica?!" She shrieked and got a huge smile on her face.

"Just like Princess Veronica. Veronica, this is the Munchkin." Logan explained.

"Hi, Kylie." Veronica smiled.

"Are you a real princess?" Kylie asked wide-eyed and Veronica looked unsure of how to answer.

"She wishes." Logan teased. "No, Ky. She works for the FBI like your mama and me."

"Oh." Kylie's face fell a little. "A Cajun?" She assumed. Logan and Jeff stifled laughs, while Veronica looked confused.

"No, Baby. Agent. Veronica is an agent." Jeff corrected. "Like Mama."

"Being a princess is more fun." Kylie stated.

"I bet you're right, Kylie. It would be nice to be a princess." Veronica added with a nod of her head.

"Olo!"

"Yes?"

"Daddy got me a Nudicore!"

"He did? You're just spoiled rotten, kid."

"Nuh-uh. He's purple!"

"Does he have a name?"

"His name is Logan." She said as if it were obvious. Both Logan and Jeff's mouths dropped open.

"Did you just say 'Logan,' Ky?" Logan asked with pride.

"That's my Nudicore's name!"

"That's MY name!"

"No." She corrected. "You're Olo."

"You can't really argue with that logic." Jeff laughed. Veronica couldn't wipe the smile from her face as she watched Logan.

"Daddy, can I show Olo my Nudicore?"

"Yeah, Baby. Go get it." He answered. "Hurry though. Uncle Logan has to go soon. And then it'll be time for your nap." She jumped off the couch and ran up the stairs.

"Olo?" Veronica questioned Logan and Jeff.

"She can't say Uncle Logan and when she tried it came out Olo. Then it kind of stuck." Jeff explained.

"Except apparently she CAN say Logan. Any day now, I'll be rid of that Olo word." Logan smiled.

"And I'm sorry I'm not up on my three year old speak. What's a Nudicore?"

"Unicorn." Logan answered.

"Of course! Got it." Veronica laughed. "Hey, Olo?"

"What?" Logan answered automatically. A horrified look landed on his face. "NO!" Jeff and Veronica laughed hysterically.

"Twelve YEARS I've been searching for a good nickname for you and a three year old gives it to me in a two minute conversation!"

"You are NOT going to call me Olo. Ever. Ever again." Logan commanded.

"Whatever you say, Olo." She raised her eyebrows. Logan grabbed her, pinned her down on the couch, and started tickling her.

"Never again or you're completely cut off!" He attempted to sound menacing, but only accomplished jovial.

"Three year old walking!" Jeff called, clearing his throat to warn Logan. He helped Veronica sit up quickly.

"Daddy, I can't find Logan!" A heartbroken little voice cried from off the screen.

"When did you last have him?"

"I don't benember."

"Did you check my room, Kylie?" Logan asked. Kylie came back into view with crocodile tears on her cheeks.

"I'm not allowed in your room anymore, Olo." She cried.

"You're just heartless." Veronica whispered, jokingly.

"I didn't make that rule." Logan mumbled to her. "Why aren't you allowed in my room, Ky?"

"A-cause I broked your necklace, but I just wanted to try it on, Olo. I'm sorry!" Her tears made her words almost incomprehensible.

"Okay, Kylie. It's okay. I tell you what, if you promise to only touch your unicorn, you can go in my room and look."

"Okay, I promise." She nodded and ran off again.

"Somebody desperately needs a nap." Jeff sighed.

"When you put Ky down, you can have a nap too, Sweet Pea." Logan teased.

"Very funny. Especially coming from the guy who I always find asleep in her bed with her."

"Is it my fault that females find me irresistible?"

"You're a sick, delusional man, Echolls."

"Jealousy doesn't look good on you, Jeff." Logan sniped.

"Look!" A tiny voice called as the video turned into pastel purple fur.

"Baby, hold it back so they can see it." Jeff showed her. The purple unicorn had a shimmery iridescent mane, tail, and horn.

"Wow, Kylie! That's a beautiful unicorn!" Veronica exclaimed.

"I know. See? He gots sparkles!" She pointed out 'his' sparkle-laden fur and hair. Then, she made him fly around the room.

"I really like your unicorn, Ky." Logan added.

"Well, guys. A certain G-I-R-L named K-Y-L-I-E needs to be put down for her N-A-P, so we should get going." Jeff announced.

"Thanks for web-camming for me." Logan smiled.

"Well, how else was I going to get a look at the new and improved Veronica?" He joked.

"Aww." She sighed. "It's good to talk to you again, Jeff."

"Definitely. Talk to you guys soon!" He added. "Hey, Kylie! Come say bye to Uncle Logan."

"Does he have to go?" She pouted and stuck out her bottom lip.

"He does, Baby."

"I miss you, Olo." She said, sadly.

"I miss you too, Munchkin. You be good for your daddy and take a nap, okay?"

"Okay. Bye, Olo! I love you!"

"Love you too, Ky."

"Bye, man." Jeff said "Bye, Veronica."

"Bye 'Nonica!" The little blonde called.

"Later, J." Logan added.

"Bye, guys!" Veronica stated and Logan closed his laptop. He leaned back onto the couch dejectedly.

"Logan? She might be one of the cutest kids ever." Veronica said, watching him carefully. He rolled his head to look at her.

"Yeah. She's pretty damn, cute." He smiled. "What?"

"Nothing."

"You're looking at me funny." He sighed.

"I've never really seen you around kids before. You're really good with her." He grabbed her hand gently.

"You think?"

"Definitely." She added, as her face fell. She didn't realize what was happening to her until suddenly tears were streaming steadily down her cheeks. Logan quickly repositioned himself on the couch and quickly pulled her into his embrace.

"Veronica, what's wrong?" He whispered into her ear. Confusion plagued him as he desperately went over the last five minutes in his head, searching for some kind of trigger. "Hey. What's going on with you?" Normally when she cried into his chest, she would wrap herself around him for comfort. Not that Veronica crying was ever normal. But this time, she hunched herself down into a little ball, clutching her knees and leaning against him, weeping.

"Nothing. It's nothing." She mumbled.

"It's obviously something, Veronica. Please tell me." He was desperately trying to hold and soothe her at the same time, neither of which was very successful. She retreated deep inside herself and he could only watch in frustration.

**

* * *

**"Oh good, you're awake." Logan said tensely. She yawned and stretched as she assessed her current position. She was sprawled across the couch with her head in his lap. There were files open on the cushion to the left of him. He was marking his place in one with his left hand, while his right hand was absent-mindedly playing with her hair. She scanned the room for a clock, but didn't find one. 

"How long have I been asleep?" She asked, sitting up slowly.

"Well, you stopped whimpering about an hour ago." His voice was strained and he wasn't making eye contact, still focusing on the files. His voice sounded almost clinical to Veronica. She eyed him carefully, suddenly feeling a need to tread lightly. She noticed multiple files were also open on his laptop. She made a mental note that the clock on the screen showed it was nearly two-thirty. Nonetheless, she grabbed his left arm gently and looked at his watch. He didn't pull away from her or tense up, so she let herself relax a little.

"An hour? Oh." She couldn't think of anything else to say.

"So, are you going to tell me why you just fell apart or are you taking the Veronica Mars approach and bottling it all up inside so you won't let anyone else in?"

"Logan, it's not like that." She tried, knowing full well that she was lying to herself if she thought he was wrong.

"Really?" Skepticism rang clear in his one word. "So, what is it like?"

"I'm just…overwhelmed. It's been a rough weekend." She still hadn't let go of his arm. "My ex is stalking me. My dad is engaged. Everyone was mad at me. Mac and Dick are upset about his mom." She elaborated. "And you…"

"Me?"

"Yeah. You have this whole life I don't know anything about. You're in the FBI. You don't drink. You're friends with Trina. You own a restaurant. You have a family. And…" She froze. She'd been struggling to come up with a reason for her earlier outburst and stumbled into a hornet's nest of painful emotions. "You live in Virginia. What does that mean…" The words _for us_ were left unspoken. Logan paused as he watched her struggle.

"Well, for one thing, it means I'll be spending a lot more time on planes." He joked to lighten the mood. She looked up to see if he was serious.

"And you wonder why I don't like sharing. I open up to you and you make fun."

"Come on, Veronica. That was for your benefit."

"I'm serious, Logan. I don't hear you opening up your wounds and deep dark secrets to me. Seems like a double standard."

"You want me to open up to you?"

"It's only fair if I have to."

"You are emotionally exhausting, Miss Mars."

"Excuse me?" She scoffed.

"You asked."

"I'm emotionally exhausting? Me?"

"Yes, you. No one else in my life has ever made me feel so frustrated and mad and depressed and just…" He noticed her frown growing at his remarks and he added the most important part. "so God-damned happy. No one else makes me feel like I just, belong. I was so frustrated with you but I sat here holding you because I still can't believe how lucky I am that you're even here at all." He moved his arm so that he was holding her hand. "You said something in the car and I totally froze on you."

She opened her mouth to respond, but no sound came.

"I wasn't trying to give you a dose of your own medicine, I promise. But, I don't know how I should respond. I think if I say what I'm really feeling, it'll scare you off and you'll run." Logan explained. "I'm really trying to figure out how not to lose you."

"Well, with as many times as I couldn't say it back to you, Logan? I owe you at least one. I totally deserved it."

"No, Veronica. I swear it's not a lesson. I'm not trying to prove some point. I just don't want to screw this…us…up."

"I really do like your glasses." She smiled up at him. "You look really hot in them." He shook his head at her.

"Now who's trying to deflect seriousness?"

"That's not a joke. It's a fact." She stated and ran her free fingers lightly from the frames of his glasses down his jaw line. "So, about your investigation. What are we looking at?" She turned to his laptop and pointed at a file with links and pictures.

"What do you know about Jackson Carter?" He asked, knowing their relationship conversation was officially over.

"He's an amazing profiler. Smart as hell. Calls me FBI Barbie. He's funny. He's an amazing kisser." Veronica attempted to mask her grin at Logan's scowl. "And he's saved my ass about four times now."

"You do know the Bureau frowns upon dating your co-workers, don't you?" He said exasperatedly.

"Says my boyfriend the Fed." She challenged.

"How many co-workers have you dated?" He retorted. "So I can make a note for the investigation."

"Just Seth. Oh, and you, of course."

"So what, you and Carter are just make-out buddies?"

Veronica laughed. "We were undercover as a married couple once. It was strictly business. Why are you asking about Carter?"

"He's on an extremely expensive vacation and I haven't had the pleasure of hitting, uh, meeting him yet."

"He took the mandatory leave of absence."

"He was your partner in the Giordano case?"

"The reason I didn't bleed to death on that chair." She confirmed.

"Or possibly the reason you were caught in the first place?" Logan attempted.

"No." She wouldn't even entertain the notion. "Logan, he is an amazing agent. He's in it for the love of his country. It's not him. It can't be."

"Okay."

"You're dropping him from your suspect list?" She sighed.

"No." Logan said flatly. "But I respect that you don't think it's him. I encourage you to find a justification for the amount of money that is going into his four star hotel penthouse vacation in Paris."

"I'm on it." She accepted his challenge. "What else can I do?"

"Help me find out who Seth knows in San Diego." He answered. "He stayed down here six times in the last year. He must have ties somewhere."

"Do those times coincide with my trips to Neptune?"

"His last trip was last weekend, but I don't know about the others. But you haven't been here in over a month…"

"But last weekend Seth was in New York visiting his Mom…" She began. "Never mind, I'm an idiot. He was obviously lying to me."

"Obviously." Logan said with as little sarcasm as he could offer. "But you're not an idiot. You just tend to put your trust in all the wrong people."

"Just so you know, I blame you."

"You blame the guy you've never really trusted?"

"No. The guy who showed me that by not trusting him I pushed him to disappear for three years. So I've been trying to be more open to trusting people. And look where that got me. So thanks."

"I'm glad you're blaming yourself for me leaving. I'd hate to think it was MY fault, or MY decision, or MY choice to make." Logan's voice dripped with sarcasm.

"If I hadn't been so horrible to you, you wouldn't have left."

"First of all, I didn't leave because of you. That was all me. Second, you were never horrible to me. Maybe you held me to a higher standard than I could appreciate, but you were never horrible."

"You mean a higher standard than humanly possible?"

"No. I think you set the bar up somewhere around your dad's level."

"My dad doesn't even live up to the bar, Logan."

"Yeah, right. Your dad is the most morally sound person I know." He stated wistfully. "And you would have won that title if it weren't for your penchant for creative revenge."

"Logan, he really does have his faults. No one is perfect."

"Well, he raised you, so he can't be too far from it." Logan poured on the charm and began drawing circles on her arm with his free hand. She shook her head in disagreement. "Fine. Name one bad thing your dad did."

"He had an affair with a married client." She answered succinctly. "And that's enough about that. Seth has ties to San Diego, you say?"

Logan could see the disappointment in her father hiding in Veronica's eyes and he knew it was a topic he'd push with her later. For now he just leaned over and kissed her temple.

"What was that for?"

"We just had a rational conversation instead of yelling and storming out of the room in anger. I'm kind of proud of us."

"If I didn't think we needed to work on the case, I'd say we should celebrate with ice cream." She grinned at him.

"Baby, this is the Grand. We can do both." Logan picked up the phone to call for room service.

**

* * *

**

A couple of hours later, Logan was returning to the Casablancas' mansion to pick Veronica up for dinner.

"Hey, Logan." Mac smiled as she answered the door. "Come on in."

"Hey, Mac. Is Veronica ready to come home?" He asked as he followed her in.

"They aren't back yet."

"Who aren't back yet?"

"Dick and Ronnie."

"Did you just call her Ronnie?" Logan asked in shock.

"Oh man, not again. Dick is rubbing off on me." She groaned as Logan chuckled.

"Wait, what do you mean they aren't back yet? Where on earth would Dick and Veronica be? They're together?"

"The beach. Usually they go to Dog Beach, but at this time of day, they probably went to La Jolla Shores so they can lean against the wall and hide the bottle better."

"I'm sorry, is this some kind of prank or something? What do you mean usually? And hide what bottle?"

"Every time she's home, she and Dick go to the beach and get drunk. Which of course, they will both swear up and down is actually just tipsy."

"Are you on drugs? I'm talking about Veronica Mars and Dick Casablancas. You know, my best friend and my girlfriend, who HATE each other?"

"Hated each other. Past tense. Now, they're really good friends."

"In what world would they possibly be friends?"

"They have a lot in common, Logan."

"Like the fact that they both require oxygen to survive?"

"No. Like the fact that they both love you."

"What?"

"Look. Dick and I knew where you were, but you were still gone. He lost his best friend and Veronica lost her, well, everything. One day they realized they kept getting into conversations and next thing I know, they have a standing date at the beach."

"But, they can't stand each other."

"Yes, they can."

"You're okay with them hanging out?" Logan asked in confusion.

"I'll admit, I don't like the idea of my husband hanging out with a hot blonde chick at the beach…But, it's Veronica. I trust her completely. And they spend most of the time talking about high school and stuff. I think it's actually really good for them. In a way, they are the only connection they have to you. And Duncan. And…"

"Lilly." He realized out loud. "God. It never even occurred to me. When I left, I thought it was okay, because she had you and Wallace. But you guys didn't really know Lil. I'm such an idiot."

"Well, Veronica and Dick adapted, Logan. They became friends. And now, they go get drunk at the beach."

"Why don't you go with them?"

"One, I don't really drink. Two, I'm completely lost when it comes to 09er speak. All the memories go over my head and trust me, they aren't nearly as funny as they think they are. Three, I like the beach, but it's not really my thing."

"I'm sorry. I can't picture this. I have to see it for myself or something." Logan exclaimed. "Veronica and Dick? Veronica out drinking on a beach? I can't believe it."

"Well, they probably shouldn't be driving at this point. Let's go pick them up." She grinned.

**

* * *

**"Hand it over." Veronica finally said after they'd spent a long time silently staring out at the ocean. Dick handed her the bottle of Southern Comfort. She took a long swig. "Mmm. Excellent choice." 

"It's the bottle you picked out last time you were here." He laughed.

"Oh yeah. So, Dick, how are you?"

"Fine." He lied.

"That's a lie. Take a shot and answer truthfully." He shook his head, but complied.

"Things are shitty. But, Mac and I are good. I'm trippin' about being a dad."

"You don't think your mom's gonna make it?" She asked dolefully.

"Actually, the doctors told me this morning that they think she's doing better than expected and if she keeps improving, she'll be on the road to recovery. My step-dad's parents have the sibs right now, so that's cool. But I'm talking about the real being a dad thing."

"Oh my God! Mac is pregnant?"

"Shit. You didn't know yet. She's due in seven months."

"Wahoo! I'm gonna be an auntie!" Veronica cheered.

"Don't tell Mac I told you. Act surprised or something."

"I will. Why are you trippin' about it?" She grabbed the bottle and drank again.

"My example of fatherhood is my dad, the biggest asshole ever."

"At least he isn't a murderer."

"No, but he raised one." Dick said dryly. Veronica passed the bottle back to Dick wordlessly. Dick took a huge sip.

"How are YOU, Veronica?" He asked. Neither of them saw that Logan and Mac had come up close enough behind them to hear their conversation.

"Alive?"

"Elaborate." He handed her the bottle. She took a quick sip this time.

"Crazy nightmares. My shoulder hurts like sixty percent of the time. This is not the first time I'm getting drunk since the last time I was here. Oh." She started fishing through her bag. "And I've been unbelievably tense." Logan watched curiously as she bent over. Suddenly a cloud of smoke rose from her. Mac frowned and crossed her arms. Veronica instantly relaxed as she smoked her cigarette.

"Damn it, Ronnie. I thought you quit those! Mac's gonna kill us both when she smells your damn smoke on us."

"It's my first pack in a year. Don't give me shit."

"If you accept that they cause cancer, then I won't give you shit." Dick challenged and drank again.

"Very funny."

"So, HE's back." Dick stated.

"That he is." She exhaled the smoke and grabbed the bottle, taking another long drink.

"What do you think? Less hot, same, or hotter?"

"Looks or personality?" She asked. Logan's jaw dropped.

"Both, of course."

"Looks? Hotter. It's fucking ridiculous. He gets hotter with age." Logan smirked at Mac upon this revelation. She rolled her eyes back at him.

"Personality?" Dick quizzed. Veronica took a long drag on her cigarette and exhaled slowly. "You're not answering." Dick pointed out. "But you are smiling."

"Don't get me wrong. He's still Logan, y'know?" Dick nodded in agreement. "But, he's like a new upgraded version. He's this superstar agent and he's amazing with kids, and he's…well….it's like he's all grown up and stuff."

"Yeah." Dick said. "So?"

"And I'm here, getting drunk on the beach with Dick Casablancas. It's like I had everything together and I was the good girl. Now I'm the fuck up. The ultimate role reversal." Veronica ended with a laugh.

"You didn't answer the question. Less hot, same, or hotter?"

"God help me, he's hotter." She giggled, feeling the effects from the alcohol. She leaned forward and rested her forehead on her palm. Her cigarette still held up in the air with her free hand. Suddenly it was being pulled out from her fingers. "Hey!" She frowned up at the person standing behind her. Then a guilty expression washed over her face as she saw it was Logan.

"Busted!" Dick groaned. Logan took a long drag from the cigarette and exhaled with a smile. "Dude! Not you too! You both quit that shit! Mac's gonna kill us all."

"Don't worry, Dick. I won't kill you because your friends are both IDIOTS." Mac called to him from a safe distance from the group.

"Sweets!" Dick jumped up. "I'm not drunk, I swear! We didn't even get through half a bottle."

"Whatever. Smokers aren't welcome riding with me, so I need your keys, Dick." She scowled at Logan, who had driven. He and Veronica were still staring at each other.

"Mackie." He pleaded quietly, going over to her. "Please don't leave me here with these two. I didn't smoke and I got as far away from her as I could when she started." She frowned at him. "I have an idea. Don't leave yet." Dick handed her his phone and keys, turned, and ran down to the water, where he jumped in fully clothed. Mac laughed from the sidewalk. He trudged back up the beach and grinned. He walked a wide circle around Logan and Veronica to avoid the smoke. "You're driving. I've been drinking." He leaned down and kissed his wife on the cheek. "Ronnie! I meant what I said earlier! See you guys in an hour!"

Logan dropped down and sat next to Veronica as he finished her cigarette. He stared out at the ocean solemnly.

"You smoke?" Veronica asked in surprise.

"Started about the day I left Neptune. I quit about the same time I quit drinking. Of course, I had major encouragement from Jeff and Kelly. They used Kylie against me. Said if I was going to keep my Godfather status, I had to clean up my act."

"I quit to get Mac off my case. And because I started having trouble breathing while I was running. How much of our conversation did you hear?" Veronica asked timidly.

"A lot." He gently pulled her over to him so that she was sitting in between his legs. Logan started massaging her back, taking extra care around her injured shoulder. She moaned lightly and rested her hands on his legs. He leaned forward and stopped when his lips landed on her neck. "You, are so not a fuckup." He stated against her soft skin. "Nobody talks about my woman that way. Not even you." He hit a sweet spot on her back and she collapsed back into him with a smile on her face.

"God, that feels good." She sighed and he wrapped his arms around her snugly and rested his chin on her right shoulder.

"I did start getting my act together, but I see no evidence that you lost it. You're a great agent. You have an awesome apartment. You have good relationships with your friends and family. And for God's sake, you're friends with Dick Casablancas! If that's not a sign of growth on your part, I don't know what is."

Veronica got a chill and snuggled back into Logan's strong arms. He moved his face so that his lips brushed her ear lightly.

"And for your information, you are WAY hotter now." He smiled.

"Do you hate me for being a little bit drunk right now?"

"No. I could never hate you."

"But are you mad at me?" She asked sadly.

"You're still self-deprecating when you're drunk, Mars. Guess some things never change."

"You are mad. I'm sorry, Logan. We only do this once in a while."

"No." He laughed. "I'm not mad at all. I find it amusing, actually. You are friends with DICK."

"Yeah. He remembers…"

"And, I wasn't here for you." He whispered. She pulled out of his embrace and turned to face him. She straddled his legs.

"You're here now." She wrapped her arms around his neck tightly and he hugged her back.


	16. Cookies, Drinks, and Proposals

He sighed in frustration at the growing pile of paperwork on his desk. When his phone rang for the twelfth time in an hour, he dropped his pen in defeat and groaned into his hands. Reluctantly, he picked it up to answer.

"Yes?" His voice was strained with annoyance.

"Mr. Fennell?" A chipper female voice rang in his ear.

"Yes, Wendy. What can I help you with?"

"Mr. Fennell, a package has arrived for you."

"Okay. Can you just have it sent back with the mail?"

"Um, actually, they're asking for a signature to confirm delivery."

"Can't you sign? I'm a little busy back here, Wendy."

"They won't leave the package unless it's signed for by the recipient. I already tried that."

"Fine. I'll be up in a minute." He grumbled. _At least I get to leave this obnoxious cubicle for a few minutes._ The trip up to the front desk was a quick one, but he took his time, realizing as he walked that his neck and shoulders were thick with tension. He stretched them quickly and shook out his arms to loosen up. When he reached the reception area, his eyes were immediately drawn to the gorgeous brunette standing at the desk with a package. His mouth twisted into his first smile that day.

"Mr. Fennell." The brunette smiled. It was more of a statement than a question, as if she recognized him.

"Yes. I'm sorry, have we met?"

"No, but my client was fairly descriptive. You are Wallace Fennell, are you not?" She asked.

"I am. And you are?"

"Jasmine Clark." She stated as she leaned towards him and bit her bottom lip. Her smile lit up her entire face. This was something Wallace could definitely get used to. Wendy, the receptionist eyed the pair in apparent dislike. "I have a package for you. Could you sign here?"

"Actually, I can't sign for it until I've inspected it first. How do I know you're not brining me something out of season?" Wallace flirted.

"Here's the box. Suit yourself." She smiled again.

"Thanks." Wallace took the package and began opening it. "You said your client described me to you. Who, may I ask, is your client?"

"Unfortunately, I am unable to disclose that type of information. I wouldn't be a very good courier if I couldn't keep my clients happy." She flirted back. Once he'd opened the box, he realized there was another box inside. It was a green box decorated with gold fringe and lettering that spelled out things like _Go Pirates!_ And _We Love You Wallace!_ And _You Rock, Number 3!_ He instantly grinned uncontrollably and opened it in excitement.

"Wow. That's a manly box you've got there." Jasmine teased.

"What this? This is one of the best gifts on earth, Girl. You don't know what you're missing." He stated. "Are you an angel, by the way?"

"An angel? Are you seriously using a pick up line on me?"

"No, I'm serious. How else would you be able to bring a piece of heaven to me?" Wallace chuckled. Then he pulled a Snickerdoodle out of the box, reverently, and bit into it greedily.

"It's just a cookie. And if you want to thank anyone, you should thank my client."

"This isn't just a cookie. This is a Snickerdoodle."

"A what?" She giggled.

"Don't tell me you've never had a Snickerdoodle." He said in shock. She shook her head no. "You're kidding me! Okay, well then, I guess in the interest of scientific research. I'll have to give you a piece." He opened the box again and broke a cookie in half and handed it to her. It was then that he saw a sentence written on the lid of the box. _And the other gift is from me. -LE_

"All that bravado and you can't even give me a whole cookie?" She questioned.

"Girl, if you had any idea how long I've been waiting to have these cookies, you'd understand just how much they mean to me. Plus, my best friend didn't go through the trouble of making them for me to squander them on someone who doesn't even know what they are."

"Damn! When V invited me to dinner, I didn't realize there would be a show too." Weevil said to the only other person left in the apartment.

"Veronica Mars is back in Neptune on a day that ends in Y. You had to know something crazy would happen." Mac replied as she stared at the front door, willing it to open.

"So, let me get this straight. The guidance counselor is hooked up with Sheriff Mars. And she just told V to leave Neptune and forget to come back because she's bad news?"

"I believe she actually said Veronica is a menace to society and that she should leave town to protect her dad and the rest of us from her wake of destruction"

"I thought Sheriff Mars was gonna blow a gasket when Miss James said that."

"Papa Mars seemed less than pleased, that's for sure. I was actually surprised that Veronica wasn't even instigating the fight. We all know she doesn't like the woman, but she was down right pleasant."

"Yeah. She had her Mary Poppins face on." He joked. "There's a spoonful of sugar, but it's just covering up some crappy medicine."

"Weevil Navarro, did you just speak metaphorically?"

"I'm just saying it was her fake nice. Y'know where she seems a little too peppy." He defended his statement. Mac laughed and gave him her trademark eyeroll.

"Maybe we should put on a DVD or something. I bet the search is going to take a while."

"Whatever you say Mac."

"Super."

_Meanwhile, At the Happy Horseshoe_

"What the hell are you doing?"

The two men sitting at the bar flinched at the outburst from the female behind them. Neither could tell who she was yelling at, both were afraid to turn around and face her. The tall, muscular one found his courage first and turned around on the stool.

"Hi, Baby!" He said in an overly sweet voice. He stood up and leaned down to kiss her on the cheek. "What brings you to the Double H?"

"Funny story. My dad and my boyfriend caused a huge blow-up at this dinner I was at. Then they storm out and disappear." She made a poofing gesture with her hands. "So, I decide the best use of my time would definitely be going to get drunk at the local dive bar." She explained. Logan ran his hand down her shoulder to her elbow. "Imagine my surprise when I find my DAD," she spoke pointedly at the other man who still faced the bar, "and my sober boyfriend holed up on barstools."

"Veronica." Logan attempted. She lightly pushed past him and slammed her hand down on the bar.

"Hey, Butters!" She yelled at the bartender. "Jack and Coke, S'il vous plait!" He glared at her warningly. She blew a kiss at him in response. He obligingly poured her drink and slid it over to her. "What's the haps, Pops?" She turned to her dad and took the seat Logan had previously occupied. She raised her glass to them and took two swift gulps, downing half the glass. "Mmm. Yummy."

"Ronnie! I thought you were gonna drag them out on their asses, not join 'em!" Dick called as he walked up to the trio. He grabbed the drink from her and took a sip, then frowned. "Hey! This is just Coke."

"Which means she mixed up our drinks." Logan added. "Mine's just Coke." Dick nodded in understanding and traded the glasses.

"Mmm. Cherry Coke. That's more like it." He smiled.

"If by Cherry you mean Jack Daniels, then yeah." Logan remarked.

"No. This is definitely Cherry." He smiled. "Exactly what we ordered when we talked to Butters at the other end of the bar." He explained as Veronica grinned.

"You two should have seen the looks on your faces, though! Priceless."

"Let me see that." Logan pulled the soda away from Dick and smelled it. He frowned and shook his head. "Trips to the beach and pulling pranks? You two are seriously not allowed to be friends anymore. It's just too weird."

"So, Dad!" Veronica ignored her boyfriend. She leaned over and nudged her dad with her shoulder. Keith eyed her curiously. "Sorry, that's the second time I am the downfall of your relationship with Miss James. Unless you want to go apologize and beg her forgiveness. I'll drive you. I mean she has a point. I am a menace." Veronica's tone became quiet and serious. Dick pulled Logan away from them and over to a pool table, where Wallace was chatting with some ladies.

"You are not a menace, Veronica. A little rambunctious at times, but never a menace." Keith gripped his almost empty glass with both hands.

"But she has a point. Danger is kind of my middle name. Danger magnet." She pointed at herself.

"Your middle name is Lorraine."

"SHHHH! Someone might hear you!" She covered his mouth with her hand to silence him.

"Lorraine was my mother's name. Be nice."

"You okay?"

"Better than I should be."

"It's probably none of my business, but I think you should go talk to Mrs. Fennell about your situation."

"What? Why, Veronica?"

"Because you're still in love with her."

"Kid, I'm thinking you should butt out and that the FBI is addling your brains and screwing with your detective skills. You have no idea what you're talking about."

"I think my skills are just fine. And I think you should tell her how you feel before it's too late. And I think you'll regret it if you don't."

"I think you should stop thinking so much."

"Dad, life is too damn short to not tell people how you feel about them. I went around for ten years like that and when I was abducted all I could think about what that I might die and none of you would know how I really feel about you."

"Veronica, I love you." Keith sighed and pulled her into the tightest hug they'd shared in quite some time. Keith noticed Logan had heard the last part of their conversation. He watched Logan run his hand through his hair, turn on his heel and run out of the bar.

"I love you, Dad."

"Someone should go check on Logan." Keith said as he broke away.

"What? Where'd he go?" She scanned the bar.

"Parking lot. He looked upset."

"Are you okay?" She asked with concern.

"Yeah." He sounded sincere. "Go see your boy." He sighed and gestured toward the door. "I'm going to go swindle your friends." She smiled quickly and walked to the parking lot. She immediately noticed him sitting on the tailgate of his Escalade. He was staring up at the stars.

"Some night, huh?" She commented as she reached him. He laughed tightly at the understatement. She saw he had tears welled up in his eyes and she hopped up to sit next to him.

"I overheard what you just said in there." He admitted.

"Hey, I think calling that guy a douchebag was perfectly acceptable considering he grabbed my ass!" She joked.

"What you said to your dad, Veronica." He chastised.

"Oh, right."

"I want to marry you, Veronica Mars." He stopped his stargazing and locked eyes with her. Her mouth fell open in surprise and she tried to mask the terror showing upon her face. "And I know you're probably going to deflect this with some comment about how I shouldn't have had any water, or an anecdote about me being a girl. But I really don't care, because I love that about you. I love everything about you. I am so in love with you it's crazy. And the fact that you are terrified right now is actually funny to me. Which is kind of insane since I just laid it all out there." Once he'd begun talking he couldn't stop. _Why the hell did I just say any of that?_ She watched him in wonder and chuckled once he'd finished. She leaned up and gave him a peck on the lips.

"Considering you know exactly how I feel about marriage, do you think you could wait, maybe more than twenty four hours into our relationship before you ask me to marry you?"

"So, forty eight hours then?" He offered with a goofy grin. She pulled him down for another kiss.

"Actually, I was thinking maybe even a whole week. Or at least, after we've had our first major fight, so that we know we'll be able to withstand it."

"Fight? You're already planning our first big fight?"

"Logan Echolls? Meet Veronica Mars. Of course we're going to fight."

"After this big blowup, will we get to have major makeup sex?"

"Duh." She smiled wickedly.

"Good." He raised his eyebrows at her suggestively. "And by the way. That wasn't me asking you. I was just telling you what I've been feeling since I was 18 years old."

"Well, for some strange reason, I find myself kinda loving you too, Logan." She whispered to him. "What do you mean 18?" She asked incredulously. He grinned uncontrollably and pulled her into a passionate kiss.

"Now. Let's get back in there so I can kick that douche bag's ass!" He stated as he pulled away and jumped down off the tailgate. He gently pulled her with him. They ventured into the bar and joined the boys as they played pool.

"By the way!" Wallace called out to them as they walked up. "That was the BEST PRESENT EVER!"

"Why, whatever do you mean?" Veronica asked innocently.

"Snickerdoodles delivered by a sexy female? Literally the best gift I've ever been given."

"Sexy lady?" Veronica questioned. "I specifically requested a guy in a clown suit."

"I might have asked the girl who came in to send flowers to her mother to go in his place." Logan admitted. "But let's face it. It was for the greater good. We can't have Wallace be all work and no play."

"Man, that girl is FINE!" Wallace gave Logan a high five.

"But did you make the best of the situation?" Logan checked.

"We're going on a date next Friday. Wait, did you say she was dropping off flowers? She's not a courier?"

"Nah, dude. She's a cheerleader for the Sharks."

"You paid a girl to go bring Wallace my cookies?"

"No, I asked my friend to do a favor that would be beneficial to her and to him."

"Oh, your friend the Sharks cheerleader?" Veronica asked with a fake smile.

"Dude. If you're friends with a Sharks cheerleader, why have you been holding out on me?" Wallace remarked.

"Dudes. We have a game going on here, so play, or get out of the way." Dick chimed in.

_Earlier that evening, Mars Residence_

"Hey, Girl. How's it going?" Wallace smiled as Veronica busied herself around the kitchen, frantically trying to avoid the glares coming from Keith's fiancée.

"I'm good, Wallace. Do you need me to help you with anything?" She asked, desperately. She silently prayed for him to catch on and rescue her.

"Actually, I was hoping you'd come help me with that work project I told you about. But I forgot it in my car. Wanna come out and help me get it?" He offered. She smiled gratefully, internally high-fiving him for being on top of the situation. She turned quickly toward Rebecca.

"Do you mind, Miss J- Uh, Rebecca?"

"Please, go. I've got things here covered. You're company. You don't belong in the kitchen."

Veronica winced at being called a guest in her father's home. Her own home, if she was being completely honest with herself. Wallace sensed the tension in Veronica's shoulders raise, and he pushed her quickly out of the apartment, smiling jovially to mask his concern.

"V?" He cooed. "You should probably breathe. You look like you're about to scream." He acknowledged as soon as they arrived at the parking lot. She growled loudly in frustration.

"Pardon me." Logan stated as he pushed Wallace aside after running up to them. He'd obviously followed them out of the apartment. "Uh, you might want to avert your eyes, young sir." He added turning back to Wallace.

"Why would I…" Wallace started as he watched Logan push Veronica up against his Escalade. His lips crashed down on hers and she instantly responded hungrily. "Aw! Man, that's just WRONG!" Wallace covered his eyes with his hand.

"Hey, Fennell." Weevil stated loudly as he walked up and slapped Wallace on the back affectionately. The kissing didn't stop and the two observers rolled their eyes. "Wow! That's a really sweet shot gun, Sheriff Mars." He said even more loudly. Logan instantly raised his hands in surrender and stepped back away from Veronica.

"So not funny, Paco." Logan grimaced as he turned around to face the obvious jokester. He paled as he was greeted by the stern face of none other than Keith Mars. Weevil and Wallace chuckled in the background.

"This isn't exactly what I had in mind when I said you will be nice to her, Veronica." Keith grumbled. "And you?" He pointed to Logan. "You've got something on your lip." Logan's hand instantly moved to wipe his mouth off, guiltily.

"Sorry, Dad. Wallace was showing me something, and…" She stopped seeing it was useless to make up a story. "When I go back in, I'll be fine."

"And that will be when?"

"After I say hi to Weevil, who I haven't seen in such a long time!" She attempted.

"Five minutes."

"Five minutes, Dad." She smiled widely, but the smile didn't quite make it to her eyes, he noted before returning to the apartment. "Are you two dead set on getting me in trouble?" She lightly smacked Logan and Wallace on their arms. She then rushed to hug Eli Navarro. "Feels like I haven't seen you in two whole weeks!"

"You cleaned up good." Weevil stepped back and held her face in his hands appraisingly. "Much better without the shiner, V." Then he pulled her back for a quick hug. Only Wallace noticed that Logan's face had twisted into intense anger.

"Hey, Pool Boy!" He snarled. Veronica pulled back from Weevil in annoyance at her boyfriend.

"What's your problem, Cake-Eater?" He challenged.

"You knew what happened to Veronica and you didn't tell me?! What about our fucking agreement?"

"The agreement is to tell you if she's in danger. Not if she is no longer in danger. Besides, she made me swear not to tell anyone. So blame her. It's not my fault you didn't keep in touch."

"No! I agree with Logan." Wallace stepped up. "Why didn't you tell us what happened?! You never even mentioned you'd seen her! We have a deal!"

"You two just step off and take it up with Blondie, here. If she wanted you to know, she'd have told you."

"Why don't you all just whip 'em out and get a ruler?" Veronica chastised. "I'm off to the party." She turned on her heel and quickly returned to the apartment, leaving three speechless boys in her wake.


	17. Awkward is the Watchword

**A/N: Wow. It's been a LONG time since I posted in this. I suck. I'm sorry! I could give you my list of excuses, y'know the one where you have computer issues and the one where you totally throw your back out and can't sit in front of a computer for long periods of time? I have both of those in there.**

**Anyway, here's a chapter that I literally hated writing. And I don't like very much, but it's the best way I could write it. And now that it's done, I'm free to get on to the better stuff. Oh, and There are Battlestar Galactica references, but I won't spoil anything, I promise!**

**ps...christykg sent me a pm about getting back in here already and it really inspired me to get back in here...then the whole back thing happened, so i'm sorry i didn't get back when i said i would.**

As they watched Veronica run back inside the apartment, thirty seconds of silence ended abruptly when Wallace continued the argument.

"Seriously, Weevil! What the hell?"

"Look, V only told me because I ran into her in LA and she had a black eye. She said it was an FBI case and it was over. Why don't you two just lay off, already?" Weevil complained.

"Fine. Just forget about it." Logan decided. "I don't want to leave her alone up there for too long."

"Why?" Weevil questioned. "Is something wrong with her and the sheriff?"

"No. She and the fiancée don't get along." Wallace explained.

"You and V are engaged?!" He yelled at Logan.

"What? No." Logan shook his head. "Keith's fiancée, Rebecca. She's a total bitch."

"She is being a little hard on Veronica." Wallace agreed.

"A little hard?" Logan challenged. "The first thing she said to Veronica was that Keith could have moved and she wouldn't have known because she's never around."

"Wait, Mr. Mars is engaged?"

"Yeah. To the guidance counselor from high school." Wallace stated.

"Miss James? Damn." Weevil exclaimed. "And you and V are back on again?" He rolled his eyes as he asked Logan.

"We most definitely are."

"God help us all." Wallace joked.

* * *

"Frak-tastic!" Veronica cheered as she found a channel to flip to. "Dad! Sci-Fi is having another Battlestar Galactica marathon!" She called over to her father, who was helping his fiancée in the kitchen.

"That's frak-tacular, Sweetie." He replied, enthusiastically.

She settled into the couch to watch the show as she avoided the kitchen area, where awkward conversation seemed to be the main method of communication. Wallace, Logan, and Weevil all entered the apartment, warily eying the situation.

"BSG?! That's frak-ing sweet!" Wallace jumped over the back of the couch to sit next to Veronica. "Season Three, episode five. A Measure of Salvation." He stated after a second of viewing the program.

"You're a frak-ing geek, Fennell." Logan teased. He walked around the couch and sat on the other side of Veronica. "Okay, I watch this sometimes, but that didn't help me. What part of the show is this?" He asked as he became enthralled with the show. He placed an arm around her shoulders and rested his other hand on her thigh. She felt herself instinctively cuddle into him and noticed his smile grew just a little bigger.

_A/N: Don't worry. No Spoilers, I promise!! PS…if you don't watch BSG, this part might be a little confusing. Your next course of action should be to rent/buy it immediately. I'm just saying._

"The part with the Cylons." Veronica teased.

"That's helpful, thanks." He said dryly and poked a particularly ticklish spot on her side. She tensed and grabbed his hand to push it away from her.

"And with the unbelievably yummy Helo. And the super hot Sam." She added and stuck her tongue out at him. He narrowed his eyes at her as a warning.

"And the undeniably sexy Six." Wallace countered.

"Hell, yeah." Logan agreed and stuck his tongue out at Veronica.

"Are you people speaking English?" Weevil looked at them in confusion. "Loco Gringos." He added under his breath. Dick and Mac came into the apartment loudly and said their hellos.

"Why the frak are you watching BSG on TV, Veronica? I gave you the DVD sets." Mac laughed.

"But, they are in LA, and I am here." Veronica smiled.

"Frak this." Dick said in annoyance. "No more Battlewhore lameness, you losers." He grabbed the remote and changed the channel to a Beauty and the Geek episode.

"This show is full of LOSE." Veronica whined, then continued in a ditzy voice. "Those girls are like sooo dumb and like none of them are even pretty. Fake cha-chas don't do anything for your ugly face and frizzed-out rats nest hairdos."

"Like, oh my God, Veronica, you're like so totally right." Mac added in her best Valley Girl voice.

"Veronica? Are all of your little friends here now?" Rebecca called from the kitchen. The entire group exchanged disbelieving looks.

"Uh, yeah. Everyone is here." Veronica said, trying to mask her snort of laughter.

"Ain't nothing little about me." Weevil contradicted.

"Right! Of course. I didn't mean little." Rebecca backtracked. "I'm sorry, that was me channeling my mother, apparently." Keith joined her in awkward laughter. Twenty minutes and two disparaging remarks about Veronica failing to clean the kitchen after baking cookies later, the group gathered around the ornately decorated tables.

"Wow. This is quite the set up." Veronica mused.

"It was nothing." Rebecca replied. "Keith is important enough to **me** for me to go just a little out of my way for him. And I just took the day off." Veronica felt Logan grip her thigh tightly under the table to assure her he didn't appreciate the cut-down anymore than she did.

"So, Logan." Keith began. "We haven't really talked much since you've been here. How's your place in Arlington?" Logan smiled widely at the question. Veronica didn't fail to see how his eyes lit up at the thought.

"It's good. Feels really lived in with Jeff, Kelly, and Ky. And I finally got the Screening Room finished, so I have the perfect place to watch movies and play the Xbox 360."

"Screening room?" Veronica questioned in surprise. "Is it like the one your-"

"No. Not like Aaron's." He answered to calm her fears of seeing some gaudy movie theater in his house. He remembered all too well how ridiculous she thought that room was. "It's got the most comfortable reclining couches ever and the best home theater equipment I could find." He watched her nod in understanding. "It's a little like that one at Gant's house."

"Casey doesn't have a theater room." Veronica frowned in confusion, realizing too late that the reference would cause him a typical moment of jealousy. He didn't fail to give her a look of dissatisfaction and he removed his hand from her thigh.

"His parents' house. In high school. The four of us went to hang that one time." Logan confirmed through gritted teeth. She looked up at him to ensure she had realized her gaff and she pulled his hand back to her leg, lightly drawing circles on it to soothe his nerves.

"That was a cool room." She smiled.

"Mine's cooler, with better equipment. And it's bigger." Veronica did not miss Logan's overtly sexual innuendo and she dug her nails into his hand in warning.

"I can't wait to see it." She attempted to move the conversation forward, suddenly blushing furiously at the lecherous grin beginning to spread across her boyfriend's face.

"Trust me, you will. Very soon."

"Logan." Mac's voice brought them back to the table where everyone was watching their tete a tete uncomfortably, except Dick, who was happily munching on a biscuit. "Pass the potatoes please."

"Absolutely!" He responded cheerily, noticing that she already had some and that he'd need to use the hand currently exploring how high up her leg Veronica would permit him to roam. He sent the potatoes to her via Weevil, who sneered at him. Mac gave Logan a glance that clearly told him to knock it off.

"Thanks." She replied, then transferring the glare to Veronica's direction. Veronica focused both hands upon her dinner plate and silverware.

"Rebecca." Veronica smiled, too sweetly to be genuine. "Are you still counseling at the high school?"

"Part time, as a favor to Van." Rebecca answered. "You all will remember him as Principal Clemmons, though, I'm sure. But I'm actually working full time on my master's thesis for Psychology."

"What's your subject?" Logan asked with sudden interest.

"It's really fascinating, actually. And, I was hoping Veronica might agree to an interview for it. I'm at the latter ends of a study on females who were sexually assaulted in their teenage years, specifically while in high school, and how they tend to place themselves in high risk environments, therefore perpetuating a cycle of repeat victimization." Rebecca rattled off, failing to notice the looks of horror, confusion, and anger on the faces at the table.

"Why would you want to interview, Veronica, Becc?" Keith asked, curiously. Veronica dropped her knife and fork and flew out of her seat. Seconds later, they all flinched as presumably her bedroom door slammed. Keith looked intently at Logan for the answers he wanted. He got them instantly from the look of fury on the young man's face. Rebecca's hand had flown to her mouth in panic. "My daughter was raped?!" He growled ferociously at Logan.

"Wallace." Logan's voice was so authoritative it would have surprised all of his friends, had they not been in shock. "Go make sure she's okay." Wallace stood without question or hesitation, and gave Rebecca a look of complete disgust. "Don't let her near the shower." Logan spat out. Wallace nodded in understanding.

"My daughter was raped?!" Keith demanded again. "Who?"

"Mr. Mars," Dick began feebly.

"That's Veronica's choice to tell you, Mr. Mars." Mac stopped her husband.

"Are you defending him?" Dick's voice raised to her in frustration.

"No." She answered firmly. "I'm saying this is all information Veronica can choose to tell or not. It's none of ANYONE else's business." She added staring openly at Rebecca.

"I had no idea she hadn't told…" Rebecca attempted to explain.

"EXACTLY!" Logan roared. "You had no fucking clue! You never should have opened your mouth about her and that subject. What kind of fucking counselor are you? Have you ever heard of privileged information?!"

"I didn't get the information from Veronica. She always avoided actually talking in our sessions." Rebecca began defending herself. "A girl at the Hearst Take Back The Night campaign recommended her story to counter the theory. Veronica's a girl who went on to fight them, rather than fall victim again."

"And you thought, knowing she didn't like talking to you in her sessions, that bringing it up at a table full of people you don't know would be a good idea? Have you ever even heard of ethics?" Logan barreled on. Wallace came back the concern evident on his face.

"Logan, maybe you should try to talk to her. She's doing the whole non-responsive thing."

"No." Dick interrupted. "I'll get her." He stood up. "Uh, what kind of alcohol do you have in here?" He directed to Keith.

"I hardly think drinking her problems away will help. Especially with her _history_." Rebecca offered as gently as she could muster.

"If I'm ever interested in your opinion, I'll let you know. Otherwise, you should shut it." Dick stated with more than an air of snobbery.

"Cupboard by the fridge." Wallace instructed.

"Crazy Horse in the parking lot?" Dick asked him as he began pulling all the glass bottles out.

"Perfect." Wallace replied.

"You are condoning this?" Keith quizzed Wallace.

"I don't think drinking anymore today is a good idea. She and I will just go." Logan added to his friends.

"Trust them." Mac stated with a hint of annoyance to Logan. "They'll be out there for twenty minutes and come back with all their issues sorted out. It's their thing and you were gone, so you wouldn't understand." Wallace gathered the bottles Dick had pulled out. Dick moved quickly down the hallway where he pounded on the closed door.

"Ronnie! You better be decent because I'm coming in whether you like it or not." He opened the door slowly and found Veronica sitting on the floor in the corner of her room, staring at the pictures on her wall. "On your feet, Mars. We're going outside."

"Not now, Dick."

"Walk on your own, or I'm carrying you."

"I just want to be alone for a while."

"Don't say I didn't warn you." He pulled her up off the floor and quickly threw her over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes.

"Dick!" She screeched as he headed out of her room. "Put me down! Richard Casablancas, put me down or I swear to God I will shoot you."

"Dude." Logan stood up and got in his friend's way. "Let her go. She doesn't want to go with you."

"Put her down, Casablancas." Weevil finally spoke after holding in his anger.

"It's cute that you two are so protective." Dick chuckled as he followed Wallace out of the apartment. "She's fine. We're off to play Crazy Horse." He gave Logan a mock salute.

"Crazy Horse? Why didn't you say so? Put me down. I'll come willingly." She sighed. He set her down and she and Dick pulled some of the bottles out of Wallace's arms as they moved down the walkway.

"This seems like a really dangerous cycle. Veronica is drinking more than once in a day and she was drunk when she got here. She obviously hasn't processed what happened to her in high school. That's not even bringing the damage her mother caused by being an alcoholic into question. Keith. Can't you see how toxic this relationship is?" Rebecca questioned.

"Excuse me?"

"She wasn't drunk when we got here." Logan defended.

"She's not drinking now." Mac explained. "They're playing Crazy Horse. It's like basketball only you use alcohol bottles and trash cans instead of a ball and a hoop. Dick, Wallace, Veronica, and Casey invented it at a party one night."

"Don't you see how much danger and chaos she brings into your lives? She and her friends play destructive games just to process it all. Until she came back these dinners were comfortable, relaxing evenings you all looked forward to. She's back a day and it's almost like you all resume positions in the Veronica Show. You're all here defending her and she's off playing games. She has a complete lack of regard for your lives and your safety and your comfort. You said she's here hiding out from a dangerous situation. Think about how dangerous that is for you, Keith. And for all of us. She's a menace to society. It's not her fault, she was obviously victimized at a young age, and she needs help. But you can't let her drag you down to her level. She needs to leave in order to protect you from her wake of destruction." Rebecca stated analytically.

"Look, you vapid, doltish, hack! Shut your mouth about Veronica and stop quoting your textbooks while you're at it." Logan said furiously.

"Logan, calm down." Keith answered with a heavy voice.

"No, Keith. I'm sorry, but I'm not about to let this woman come in here venting her personal insecurities on Veronica. She's done nothing but rag on her all night because she's frightened Veronica will open your eyes to the fact that you don't love her and don't want to marry her. Rebecca went below the belt and used the only information she knew would take Veronica out of the equation. It's deplorable and unprofessional and just a ragingly bitchy thing to do."

"Logan, that's enough." Keith intervened.

"Thank you, Keith." Rebecca visibly relaxed.

"Don't thank me. Logan is right. What you've been doing to Veronica all night is ridiculous and I won't stand for it. She's done nothing to you and you're treating her like she's gum you stepped in. You've been bad-mouthing my daughter since I told you she missed our dinners. I'm fed up with it."

"What do you expect, Keith? You proposed to me and couldn't even find the time to tell the mighty Veronica, without whose opinion you would never even pretend to live without. You keep defending her not being here, but in the end, you're just making excuses for your selfish daughter. All of you sit here and shield that girl from facing anything. How can she ever be expected to take responsibility for her actions if none of you will let her? She hides behind you and you are the ones who get hurt."

"You have no idea what Veronica has been through." Keith started. "And if you did, you wouldn't say that."

"I don't care what she's been through. She's cost you your job more than once. And she uses you and then only comes around when it's convenient or when she needs a place to hide. I'm telling you she's the most toxic kind of person to be around because I love you and want you to be happy. You can't be happy if you let her take over your life. You are the parent."

"And you obviously aren't a parent or you'd understand that she IS my life and has been since the day she was born. That's what being a parent is about. And the fact that she was able to forge a family with these friends through the most trying times any girl has ever had to deal with, proves that she is amazing. Not dangerous."

"I saw her at the beach today drinking with Dick Casablancas. They were pounding liquor straight from the bottle and he told her she needs to start telling the truth. That it's time she finally stop hiding what happened. What is she hiding if she's so great to have around?"

"How is it any of your business what Veronica may or may not be hiding?" Logan interrupted. "And what, you're spying on her, now?"

"I'm trying to protect my fiancé." She stated defensively.

"Ex-fiancé." Keith corrected. "I'm not going to continue this charade." He stood up and walked back to his bedroom.

"Keith!" She shrieked after him and stood up helplessly. As soon as he'd disappeared, he was back with a coat, wallet, and keys.

"Rebecca, good relationships are based on trust. I don't trust you. I don't trust you around my daughter and you certainly don't trust me enough to have faith in my judgment. I'm sorry, but I've wasted enough time in my life trying to create trust where it wasn't. I'm not doing that again. Apparently, all of my booze is being smashed in the parking lot, so I'm going out. I really am sorry we won't be able to work this out."

"This is all your fault, Logan Echolls." Rebecca complained.

"What?" Keith, Logan, and Mac and Weevil, who'd been watching in awkward silence as they were blocked in their seats by Logan on one side and a wall on the other all balked.

"If you hadn't weaseled your way back into Veronica's pants, she wouldn't even be here. You two have the most dysfunctional relationship I've ever seen. It's sadomasochism at its worst. You tear each other down for fun. It's not surprising since you both have such abusive parents, but it's not healthy and you'll only end up bringing your friends and families down with you."

"Shut the fuck up." Logan chastised. "You don't know anything about Veronica or about me. And you should think twice before attempting to psychoanalyze a man whose psychology degree is higher than your own. Go back to school, Bitch." He slammed his plastic water bottle down on the table and gave Keith a menacing glance. "I'm coming with you." The men stormed out of the apartment.

* * *

Veronica broke away from Dick and ducked under Wallace's reach as she launched a bottle of gin at the metal trash can. It crashed against the top edge and the shattered glass fell into the can. "Wahoo!" She cheered and gave high fives to the boys with her. Logan watched curiously from next to Keith, marveling at the transformation in his girlfriend. She was genuinely smiling and laughing.

"Hey!" She rushed over to them. "Wanna play?" She offered a bottle of wine to Logan. "No drinking. Just get the bottle into the can." Keith shook his head no, sadly and moved towards Logan's Escalade. Logan caressed her cheeks with his fingers.

"Are you okay, Veronica?"

"Fine." She nodded, staring at his chest.

"This time, I'd like to you actually look me in the eye when you lie to me." He said soothingly. She sighed and focused her eyes on his.

"You know how much I LOVE to be blindsided. And you of all people know I haven't been great for a really long time. But, I am okay. And I always will be as long as I have people like Wallace and Dick and Mac and Weevil and Dad." She touched his nose as he looked at her expectantly. "And you." She answered the question more honestly than either anticipated. Something about his eyes always made that happen. Something about her sincerity struck him and he kissed her like was unable to stop himself.

"Your dad and I are going to go chill out for a bit. You'll be okay with these guys?" He tangled his fingers in her hair.

"I'll come with you guys." She said decidedly.

"No. Stay here." He answered gently, but firmly.

"He's my dad, Logan. I'm coming." She added assertively.

"Because he's your dad, you should stay here."

"Logan, I'm the one he needs to talk to. He needs the answers only I can give him. I owe him that much. I'm coming." She was now forceful.

"Fine." He relented. "Go get your jacket and bag. It'll be cold where we're going."

She hadn't even made it to the stairs before she saw Logan's Escalade flying out of the apartment complex.

"You, Bastard!" She yelled in the direction of the speeding car, then went back to rejoin the Crazy Horse game.

"Logan said to tell you he is sorry." Dick smiled.

"He can take his sorry and shove it up his ass." Veronica grumbled as she stole the beer bottle from Dick's hands and slammed it forcefully into the trash can.

"Two more bottles and we go back in to check on Mac, Weevil, and the Psycho Bitch." Dick declared.

"Four more?" Veronica asked as innocently as she could. She tilted her head at him.

"You know damn well I'm immune to your head-tilting bullshit." Dick snarked.

"Wallace, you agree with me, right?" She pouted at her BFF.

"Four more it is." Wallace answered. "And Dick, one of these days, you have GOT to show a brutha how to ignore that face."

* * *

"I think maybe you should just go." Mac said to the woman ranting and raving around the apartment.

"I should just go? My fiancé just dumped me for his daughter, but I'm the one who should just go? I have to clear my stuff out of his apartment so that I never have to come back here again. I think you should be the ones to leave."

"See, the thing is, Keith and Veronica are really good friends of ours, and we're not about to leave a disgruntled woman alone in their apartment." Mac taunted.

"His apartment. She lives in LA and almost never comes down here. But the one time she does, she ruins everything."

"Lady, you gotta be kidding. You come in here and insult Veronica like she's some kind of hussy who's stealing your man. And you have no idea what you're talking about. Most of the people in the room owe her their lives and you decide to tear her up right in front of us. What were you expecting?" Weevil barked.

"What do you mean owe her their lives. You make it sound like she's some kind of angel or something."

"She got me out of jail more than once. She helped me beat a bogus murder charge by proving it was someone else. She proved Aaron Echolls killed Lilly. She stopped a rapist. She helped get a group of my friends out from under the Irish Mob's thumb." Weevil listed.

"Veronica would do anything to help her friends out. And she fights every day for justice. And you have no idea what she has gone through for that fight. What she went through to protect us. If you had any clue, you wouldn't have even dreamed of going after her. And don't even get me started on the fact that you did it in a room full of people who would willingly jump in front of a bullet for her." Mac spoke firmly.

"This is just ridiculous. You've all made her into some kind of a saint or something. And she's like a classic case study on a girl who was victimized."

"You're right. She was victimized. She was raped by my husband's brother. Not to mention at one point he was also my boyfriend and one of Logan's best friends. So maybe before you go jumping into bringing up awkward subjects, you should probably find out a little more information first. But now, I think you should leave. I'm not letting you out of here with anything other than what you came with." Mac rumbled.

"Seriously. You need to go." Weevil stood up.

"Fine!" Rebecca said, tears welling up in her eyes. "You just don't understand. He was my last chance. I want to have a baby before it's too late."

"Whoa." Weevil stepped back. "If you're just looking for a baby daddy, you can get one almost anywhere. Don't lock Sheriff Mars into your grip just so you can have a kid. That's low."

"Have you ever tried online dating?" Mac suggested. She handed Rebecca a business card. "We host an internet dating site that does background checks first so you know the guys aren't married or ex-cons or anything. You should check it out."

"Whatever." Rebecca said, clutching her bag to her chest and rushing out the door. Mac didn't fail to notice she had tucked the card into her purse and she smiled. As Rebecca was rushing out, Veronica, Wallace, and Dick were coming up the stairs, so she decided to run the long way around the balcony and down the back stairs.

"Is she gone?" Wallace asked as he walked in.

"Yeah. She just left. That's one crazy chica." Weevil announced.

"What happened with Dad and Logan? They seemed kind of frantic to get out of here." Veronica asked as she began pulling pieces of a roll apart and devouring them.

"Logan kind of went a little…well…Logan on her. Then your dad dumped her. Then HE went a little Logan on her. The next thing we know, they both storm out the door, leaving her here with us." Mac recalled.

"Logan didn't break anything, did he? Dad'll never let him back in the apartment if he broke something else."

"No. He didn't break anything. But he did yell. A lot." Weevil answered. "Wait, what else did he break?"

"A lamp. And then Dad threw him up against the wall. Shows me to break up with him." Veronica jested. "That was back in high school. Logan was really unstable back then, y'know, after his mom…and Aaron…"

"God, you guys really are a match made in heaven. You're both so screwed up, you could only ever make sense to each other." Dick spoke his thoughts aloud.


	18. The Games We Play

**A/N: I don't own VM (or anything else in RT's world.) I also don't own: The Lakers, Paris Hilton, Sidekick, Cheshire Cat, Courvoisier, Cristal, or Office Space.**

**A/N2: I don't get why I put in formatting and then the format tool erases it...so I'm changing my little dividers to the XXXX's. I hope they aren't too distracting.**

**A/N3: Thanks for the reviews I've been getting. I really really really really really really really enjoy them. They really really really (you get the idea) help me out with making sure I'm getting the point across, so if you could keep them coming, I'd be supremely amazingly astonishingly formidably astoundingly grateful for them.**

**A/N4: This chapter has some CaVe in it. I have a request. Please let me know how you think I did with CG. I love his character and I had a lot of fun writing him, but I'm not sure if he came out like I intended.**

**A/N5: Good grief, I talked a lot just now...On to the reading.**

Mac looked around her dining room table at the shell-shocked group and decided to take action

Mac looked around her dining room table at the shell-shocked group and decided to take action. Dick had invited everyone over to recover from the events of the evening with ice cream and alcohol for those who wanted it.

"Veronica." She was greeted with a curious gaze from the blonde. "Tell me something true." Mac's eyes twinkled as she saw the grateful smile creep onto her friend's face.

"Something true. Okay. Um, Piz dumped me, not the other way around." Logan, Weevil, Dick, and Wallace looked at her in surprise.

"Awesome." Wallace finally laughed. "I didn't think he had it in him." No one missed the sense of pride in his voice.

"Oh, he did." Veronica answered. "I believe his exact words were: 'Fuck this, Veronica. I'm a lead guitar, not some second fiddle'." She admitted.

"It's true. Parker told me she was there." Mac added. "Apparently she and Piz banded together to form some sort of I hate Veronica and Logan club."

"Hey, it's not every day that your ex-boyfriend's ex-girlfriend helps your boyfriend break up with you." Veronica said with a smile. She was met with eye rolls and knowing glances.

"That wasn't even the worst of it." Mac continued. "He did it when she was in the hospital after that car accident." Veronica bit her lip and had a quick nervous exchange with Dick. Logan looked at them curiously for a moment before he turned his attention back to the group.

"What a jackass!" Dick exclaimed to cover their tracks.

"I should kick that boy's lily white-" Weevil started.

"Wallace!" Veronica interrupted him. "Tell me something true."

"Uh, I made out with Paris Hilton at one of the few VIP events I went to when I was on the Lakers."

"What?!" Weevil, Dick, and Logan yelled. The girls wrinkled their noses in disgust.

"Dude, what was that like?" Dick asked, excitedly.

"She's a terrible kisser." Logan and Wallace said at the same time. Shouts of disbelief came from around the table.

"How'd you get close enough to Paris Hilton to kiss her, Echolls?" Weevil challenged.

"Dude. My parents? It was tenth grade, and…"Logan tried to explain before he was interrupted.

"You cheated on Lilly with Heiress McSkanksalot?" Veronica punched his shoulder.

"No. Lilly dared me to do it. And then, she used the opportunity to steal Paris' Sidekick and sent a bunch of fake messages to people." He clarified. Veronica grinned at the thought.

"That explains how I was one of the people to receive one of those 'cloned' messages." Veronica chuckled.

"Okay, my turn." Wallace interjected. "Weevil, tell us something true."

"This is a lame game."

"Nice try. That's not how the game works." Wallace replied.

"Okay. I married Veronica Mars." He smirked.

"WHAT?!" Everyone but Veronica yelled. Mac snorted Skist out her nose.

"Elian Gabriel Castillo Navarro, you shut the hell up!" Veronica screeched. Logan frowned and grabbed her shirt to get her to explain.

"You absolutely HAVE to give us details right now." Mac demanded.

"Yes. Details. Now." Logan added. Weevil grinned like a Cheshire cat at having pissed off Logan.

"Well, when we were in kindergarten, our teacher married us in this plastic house thing. I was her first kiss. Her first love, really. Tell them, V."

"Dude!" Dick cheered. "I remember that! They told me I had to marry Carrie Bishop and that was my very first trip to the Principal's office because I told the teacher I wanted to be a solo gigolo like my nymphomaniac father. That was what my mom kept calling him and I had no idea what it meant, but I got in big trouble." He added proudly.

"Moving on." Veronica commanded.

"Echolls, say something true." Weevil decided.

"So many options." Logan hesitated. "I could wow you with my sexual prowess or my celebrity encounters or my relationship with a certain blonde. Hmm. What to choose?" He stared at Veronica teasingly. "Okay. The current offer for my novel is at 2.5 million dollars with a guaranteed movie package." The people at the table were silent in their surprise. Veronica gazed at him with intensity. He smirked back at her.

"I KNEW you'd be a writer!" She yelped and poked his chest with her index finger.

"Mac. Tell me something true." Logan changed the subject.

"I'm two months pregnant." Mac declared. Cheers sounded from around the table and they all congratulated the soon-to-be parents.

"I'm gonna be an auntie!" Veronica chanted as she danced in her chair.

"Dick." Mac decided as the room settled down. "You're the only one who hasn't gone. Tell us something true."

"I am in love with my wife." He grinned.

"Now tell us something random strangers off the street couldn't tell us." Logan charged.

"I agree." Weevil said.

"If these two are in agreement about something, then you HAVE to comply." Wallace conferred.

"Fine." Dick accepted. "Even with all the bullshit earlier, this is still the best night I've had in a long time." Everyone stared at him wide-eyed. "What? It's like the first time we're all together since Hearst." He justified.

"Translation, it's about time Echolls stopped being a chicken shit punk and talked to Veronica." Weevil stated happily.

"I agree." Veronica smiled. Logan's head turned quickly toward her in protest. "With Dick." She clarified. "This is my best night in a long time, too. It's good to just hang out."

"And the innocent bystanders aren't getting the third degree grilling like usual." Mac laughed. "Seriously, you two think you're slick when you're asking about each other, but you're not." She looked from Logan to Veronica.

"No joke!" Wallace agreed. "As if Veronica Mars would ever care about the University of Michigan Sports teams."

"My favorite is when Logan asks if I've heard from anyone in high school, like he's nostalgic or something. Or would even care about anyone not seated at this table." Dick added.

"I think I'm being mocked, Baby." Logan whined and gave Veronica a pout.

"You say that like it's something new." She scoffed. He grabbed his chest in mock-agony.

"I get no love in this place."

"Aw, poor baby." Weevil grimaced and he patted Logan's head.

"Watch the hair, Paco." Logan warned.

"Hey, Ronnie!" Dick grinned, mischievously. "Truth or Dare?"

Everyone at the table knew she would choose truth, so mouths dropped open at her determined: "Dare."

"Sweet. I dare you to French kiss anyone in this room, whose name isn't Logan." He knew exactly whom she would choose.

"What's the penalty for not completing a dare?" She questioned.

"You give me a lap dance when we're alone later." Logan quickly offered.

"Nice try, Jackass." Dick stated. "No. Penalty for non-compliance is to strip down to your birthday suit here in the room with us and then streak around the neighborhood."

"You know damn well that that was an unfair option for me." She complained. "You know too much."

"Poor widdle Ronnie's chickening out already" Dick challenged.

"Fine." She gritted her teeth and stood up. She took off her jacket slowly and draped it over Dick's head. He removed it quickly to watch her, carefully. The whole group watched in utter shock at the thought of her stripping down. She stretched her arms, carefully and walked slowly to the edge of the table.

"Hey, Wallace, my BFF." She cooed as she leaned down to him.

"Aw, hell no, V! You're like my sister!" He crowed.

"I'm aware of that." She smiled and grabbed his face. She looked up at Logan with a devilish grin and turned Wallace's head away from her. In a flash, she'd pressed her open mouth to a very surprised Mac. The shock factor gave Veronica the opportunity to plunge her tongue in to meet Mac's. When she pulled away, she was greeted by hooting and hollering from Weevil and Dick and she saw Logan was taking a video with his cell phone. She blew Logan a kiss and he ended the video. Mac stared at Veronica, looking violated.

"You're officially dead to me, Mars." Mac griped. "And if that video gets anything but deleted, Echolls, I'll ruin you."

"Too late, Mackie. It's already forwarded." Logan teased. "But don't worry, it was only to the Country Club board."

"That's not funny." She moaned.

Veronica sat in Logan's lap rather than going back to her seat and she leaned down to rest her lips on his ear. "Baby?" She whispered.

"Yes, Dearheart?" He asked our loud. She cupped her hands over his ear to ensure privacy.

"If you're a good boy right now, a naughty girl will reward you back at the hotel tonight." She finished by licking his ear suggestively. He sucked in a sharp breath and made a grand show of deleting the video.

"I don't even want to think about what she just said to him, do I?" Wallace looked ill.

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"Veronica. Truth or Dare?" Logan asked upon his next turn.

"Truth."

"How on earth did you come to date Casey Gant?"

"That question is unfair. It's using a game to weasel relationship questions out of me."

"Bitch, bitch, bitch, bitch, bitch. Always trying to get out of your turn, Mars." Mac teased.

"Seriously. If I had to answer when the last time I jacked off was, you have to answer this." Wallace grimaced.

"Oh, fine." Veronica sighed. "It's an interesting story. It starts with a certain party where the great Wallace Fennell was being a total asshole."

"Never gonna let that go, are you?" He sniped back at her.

"My girl is nothing if not persistent in her grudges." Logan remarked with a smile.

"Watch it, Echolls. I could probably remember a couple grudges I had against you, if I wanted to." She pointed at him and he smiled, innocently.

"Besides. That isn't where the story even starts." Wallace challenged.

"What? I mean, I'm not counting when we hung out in high school because you were all there for that."

"No. The story starts about a year before that party. When a certain stupid, arrogant, fucked-up, asshole…" The group eyed Wallace curiously as he got heated. "…decided it would be a great idea to leave without telling Veronica." Logan's face twisted in recognition that he was the asshole. "But, did he stop at that? No. First he decided it would be awesome to tell everyone he or she had ever met and then, the asshole tells us we can't fucking tell her. And y'know what, you stupid asshole? I might still be a little pissed at you for that, so I'm probably a bad person to tell the story." Wallace took a long drink from his beer and Veronica tried to hide the fact that she was giggling at his outburst.

"Oh, don't worry. I can continue it." Dick began. "So, Veronica went into what even in the best light can only be described as, complete meltdown." Logan's eyes narrowed with pain and understanding.

"What?! That's not true!" Veronica took offense. "I was tired. I was in the Academy and I kept flying back and forth between here and Virginia."

"Every time I saw you it was like watching an episode the Emo Queen. You wore all black and listened to fruity, whiny, cry-baby music. And we had a Veronica-Watch to make sure you didn't go from Mopey Mars to Cutter Kate."

"What my husband is trying to say, albeit more colorfully and with less tact, is that Veronica was less than happy about you suddenly leaving." Mac interjected.

"We spent a year dealing with Emo Ronnie." Dick smiled. "Then CG showed up."

"Anyway. It's my story. I'll tell it without your ridiculous analyses." Veronica challenged.

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About a year and a half ago

"Welcome to Casa de Fennell!" Dick yelled cheerfully across the crowded living room. Veronica wrinkled her brow curiously at her surroundings. Dick bounded across the living room to her. "Hello, Veronica Mars."

"Uh, hi, Dick."

"You're looking seriously fine this evening, little lady. But don't tell Mac-A-Roni I said that. We can keep it between us, right?"

"Is Wallace here? He said we were going to have dinner tonight. Who are all of these people?"

"No clue. But they have Courvoisier and Cristal. Party-up, Marsie. This is the life."

"One of his Lakers buddies brought some of the people. The rest just appeared." Mac stated as she came up behind them. "By the way, Hi. You look nice tonight."

"Okay, that's it. It was bad enough when it was my dad, but now you two have both made comments about my appearance. What is going on?"

"Veronica!" Wallace slurred as he enveloped her in a bear hug.

"Whoa. Wallace, are you drunk?" Veronica questioned.

"No." He denied. "I'm just a little drink. Damn, you look good, girl. Is Mopey Mars finally gone?" He released his hug only to lean heavily on her shoulder.

"Wally!" Dick warned, trying to hide from Veronica the cut-it-out gesture he made.

"Mopey Mars?" She questioned.

"You know. Sad 'Ronica who wears lumpy dumpy clothes because the Dumbfuck left her here for us to pick up the pieces. It's been like a year and a half already. And damn it if you aren't still grumping around trying to drag the rest of us down into your Mopey Mars world." Wallace sneered, the alcohol giving him nerves of steel. Veronica's jaw had dropped half way through his speech, and by the end tears welled up in her eyes.

"Wallace!" Mac snapped. "You're drunk. Go be an ass with these idiots you call friends and leave her alone."

"What? What'd I say that isn't totally true? You guys agreed with me when she wasn't standing here. Chickens." He charged. Dick pulled him off of Veronica and looked him in the eyes. Veronica dug her hands in her pockets and stared sadly at Wallace.

"Dude. You're being an asshole. Go sober up or something." He pushed him back toward the party. "Hey." He turned to Veronica. "He's just drunk. Don't listen to him."

"I'm gonna go." Veronica willed herself not to cry. "Get some air." She added as she saw the looks of concern.

"We'll come with you." Mac offered.

"No." Veronica shook her head. "I just need to be alone for a little bit." She turned and ran out the front door, brushing the rapidly falling tears from her face. Halfway down the private driveway, she ran into an unfamiliar chest. "Oh. I'm sorry." She cried as she tried to pull away from the tall stranger.

"No worries." He said happily. "Veronica Mars?" His familiar voice startled her and she looked up to find Casey Gant's face, warm with concern.

"Casey?" She asked in surprise.

"Hey, you've been crying. Are you okay? You want me to beat somebody up for you?" She laughed at his question and began wiping her signs of weakness away.

"I'm in the FBI now. I could beat them up myself. But, thanks for the offer."

"Whew!" He sighed in mock-relief. "I'm not really sure what I could do anyway. I work with writers all day. Fistfights are usually metaphorical in my job." He smiled. Veronica smiled back and sighed.

"Publishing? Are you working at your Grandma's Company?"

"Yeah. You should have seen the looks on people's faces when I said president would no longer be an honorary title. At least my English degree is being put to use. Of course, just between you and me? I probably should have taken some business classes."

"You could always enlist the help of Dick Casablancas." Veronica teased.

"I know he's seeing Cindy Mackenzie through the parental gossip chain at the country club, but somehow I doubt he's changed so much in four years that he could run a company."

"Actually, it's kind of what he does. He runs his own company. It's one of those places that go into work places and evaluate how they run. Then they make recommendations about who to fire and who to promote."

"You're kidding me, right?"

"To be fair, he chose the profession after watching Office Space. But he's making a lot of money, so he must be at least a little good at it. His dad seems to think his legacy lives on, anyway."

"It's kind of a trip, isn't it? Hearing that people from high school are grown ups?" He mused.

"Seriously." She agreed.

"So, FBI, huh? Why does that not surprise me?"

"Y'know what they don't tell you? Most of what you do as a new field agent is sit at your desk and read or fill out paperwork. And on a good day? Surveillance tapes. Hours and hours of mind-numbingly boring surveillance tapes."

"You mean it's not all dancing the tango with foreigners and spiffy gadgets that have hidden lasers?"

"Alas, James Bond works for British Intelligence. It may be different over there."

"Actually I was thinking of Sydney in ALIAS."

"That's even worse. She works for the enemy. The CIA." Veronica joked. Casey laughed.

"It's good to see you, Veronica." He smiled.

"You too." She returned the smile.

"So, you want to talk about the big elephant in the driveway? Why you're running out of Wallace Fennell's house crying?"

"Not really." She looked at the ground.

"Okay, that's cool. But, I'm sort of one of those guys that gets emotional really easily. If they're murdering puppies in there or something, I could use a warning before going in." He joked. She laughed. Again.

"It's just…My friends think I've been moping around for a year because Logan disappeared and he said goodbyes to all of them, but he didn't even mention leaving to me, let alone stop long enough to say goodbye. And, I really don't want to talk about it, so I don't even know why I said that much."

"Well. You know the best way to show your friends they're wrong about you being mopey?"

"Not really, no."

"Having fun!" He stage whispered to her. "What do you say we go in there and make fun of the drunk rich people?"

"On one condition."

"What's that, Miss Mars?"

"You explain your murdering puppies theory to me."

"Isn't that what rich and famous sports icons do in their spare time?" He teased.

"Not this sports icon. Even if he is a drunk asshole tonight." She explained. "He's my best friend, but I'd taser his ass if he even thought about hurting animals for fun."

"Good to see that you're still looking out for the little guy, Veronica. Or 'under dog' as it were."

"Puns aren't your specialty, are they, Gant?"

"I'm choosing to ignore that dig. Now, put on that poker face we both know you have. We're going in. And we are going to have what the kids these days are calling 'fun'." He nudged her with his elbow. She laughed. Yes, again.

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"So, basically, you're saying he pulled a Swoop and Save." Logan snarked, interrupting Veronica's story.

"A what?" Veronica queried.

"Swoop and Save." Dick laughed. "It's a move you make on a Damsel in Distress. Dude! I never recognized it, but you're right! Casey swooped and saved."

"I don't get it. He didn't make a move on me. Like I said, I was upset and wasn't paying attention to where I was going, so I ran into him."

"Classic Swoop and Save." Wallace agreed with the boys.

"He saw you were upset and jumped in your way so he could Swoop in and Save the Damsel." Logan concluded. "Otherwise, he could have avoided you. He didn't have tears distracting him. Besides, Veronica, don't be naïve. If it wasn't a Swoop and Save, he would've let you go off on your own, and you said he brought you into the party, right?"

"He did!" Dick grinned. "Didn't leave her side all night."

"Because I was upset and he was helping me out!" Veronica defended.

"The Swoop and Save ALWAYS works on Veronica." Logan proclaimed.

"What?!" She challenged. "What are you talking about?"

"Duncan." Logan put up one finger. "We were like, what? Fourteen? I tried to teach her how to surf. She wiped out and hit her head and got a cut above her left eye. Before I could even get to the beach, Duncan swooped in and carried her off to the lifeguard tower. That was the night they started dating."

"Give me a break. I was fourteen!"

"That bastard in high school." Logan held up a second finger. "He fixed your flat tire or something."

"Troy Vandergraff." Wallace nodded.

"Like I said, that bastard in high school." Logan frowned.

"Put another finger up for yourself, Echolls." Weevil baited. Logan looked at him in confusion. "Didn't you beat up an FBI agent for her?"

"ATF" Veronica and Logan said in unison.

"But, I was just trying to save her, not get in her pants." Logan countered.

"Yeah right!" Weevil, Wallace, Dick, and Mac retorted.

"Okay, yeah. It was a total Swoop and Save." Logan admitted. "And that makes four if you count Gant."

"Five." Mac interjected. "You left out Piz."

"Piz? No way. There's no way he falls into that category." Veronica literally stamped her foot down.

"Give me a break! Hell yeah he was. But, he was also a Klingon." Wallace surmised.

"A Klingon?" Veronica and Mac both asked.

"The guys who hang around in the shadows, 'clinging' to the hope that they'll find a way in. Sometimes they're called Barnacles." Dick explained.

"Piz wasn't like that." Veronica denied.

"Please!" Wallace groaned.

"Yeah, right." Mac laughed.

"Give me a fucking break, Veronica. I told you while we were still dating that that guy wanted you." Logan growled.

"Then, he waited until Parker's birthday party where anyone could see you were totally vulnerable." Mac agreed with the guys.

"And he swooped in and saved you from drowning in your Ex's face on a cake." Wallace exacted. "And I bitched him out for an hour about how it would end badly. So, so badly. But did he listen? NO. Lamest cake ever, by the way, Echolls."

"Agreed." Logan concurred.

"But, Casey wasn't a Swoop and Save. We were just friends catching up. The dating didn't happen for almost a year after that party."

"Only because he waited patiently for you to be ready for a relationship, Veronica." Mac said. "He wanted you for so long before he finally asked you out."

"And when he realized you still weren't ready for him, it killed him to break it off with you." Dick added. "He came to me before he did it."

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About a year ago

"_Hey, man." Casey sighed as he sat across the table from Dick, who was opening his bag of Mexican food._

"_What's up, CG?" Dick held up his fist, waiting for Casey to reciprocate the gesture. Casey did so without enthusiasm. "Dude, you look like someone sat on your dog or something. Have the changes at work been okay?"_

"_They're fine." Casey sighed. "I'm gonna break it off with Veronica."_

"_What? Why? You're like, in love with her!"_

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"Dick! That's not true! Casey wasn't in love with me. We only went on like seven or eight dates."

"Mars, you're in denial." Dick defied her.

"Veronica, the boy was head over heels for you." Mac added, reluctantly.

"Someone be sure to remind me that Veronica's definition of 'a couple dates' is seven or eight with a year of courtship beforehand." Logan interrupted with more than a hint of annoyance. "Or at least that's what she told me had happened with Casey."

"Okay, so it was more than a couple of dates." Veronica said, guiltily. "But it wasn't like what they're saying." Veronica comforted him with her hand on his. "Not nearly as serious as they're making it out to be."

"Is Casey the tall brown-haired guy with the suits?" Weevil asked. He received nods in return. "Totally in love with you, V."

"As I was saying." Dick cleared his throat.

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_"What? Why? You're like in love with her."_

_ "And she's not. She's still hung up on Logan fucking Echolls. I don't get it. The guy's an asshole to her. But I showed her that picture I have of them together and she gets this look in her eyes. It's like…"_

_ "Like there are a million secrets that you'll never be let in on?" Dick finally finished when Casey seemed unable to. Casey just nodded. "Yeah. They both do that. Trust me, hers is a lot easier to deal with than his is. She's still in denial about it all. He knows exactly what he wants."_

_ "If he's so in love with her, why the fuck isn't he with her?"_

"_Wish I knew, Dude. Probably easier to answer the meaning of life than to try to understand those two."_

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"On that note." Veronica interrupted. "I'm exhausted. And I'm really tired of people pretending to be qualified to analyze my life. You all aren't so perfect yourselves. It's been a blast hanging out. The next dinner isn't for a month, right?"

"Yes. You know we love you, right Superfly?"

"Yeah, whatever." Veronica smirked.

"Next week we can start the ridiculous chain of emails to fight about what day we'll have it." Mac giggled.

"Barring any unforeseen abductions, I'll be there." Veronica joked.

"Baby, I think it's a little too soon to joke about that." Logan reprimanded. She got uneasy looks from the rest of the table.

"Apparently." She sighed. "You guys really need to lighten up." She teased, lightly. She was met with five eye-rolls. "Driver! To the bat cave!" She snapped her fingers at Logan. He caught her hand before she could pull it back.

"Snap your fingers at me again and you'll lose 'em." He said gruffly, but countered it by bringing her hand to his lips gently.

"That's it. You two get out with your touchy-feely crap." Wallace shooed them. "Keep that shit behind closed doors. I don't need to see any of that."

"Ditto." Mac and Weevil agreed.


	19. How to Stun a Boyfriend

**A/N: Remember, quality is better than quantity. (I hope this is quality.) Some of this chapter was REALLY fun to write. Some was excruciating...it's funny how I find myself back and forth-ing about what a character would or wouldn't say. Psst! Did you know I actually handwrite everything before I type it? It's my version of beta. It's also why sometimes it takes me so long to update. When I started posting, I had like 7 chapters done already and then updated pretty quickly because I was five chapters ahead of what I posted. With the long delay of the last post and this, I'm still only ONE chpater ahead at this point...But some of my schedule cleared up, so it might get easier.**

**A/N2: Did I mention lately that I don't own ANYTHING? And the only profit I make off of this is in the form of comments/reviews (hint, hint.)**

"Why are we here?" Veronica asked Logan as she looked at the apartment complex from inside the Escalade.

"So you can go inside and get some sleep before we head back to LA tomorrow." Logan answered as if it were clear as day.

"Oh." She sounded disappointed. "You don't want me to stay with you?"

"Won't your dad be pretty ticked off if you spend your last night in Neptune with me?"

"He and Cliff left the bar together. I won't see him tonight anyway. I heard something about The Seventh Veil, and I'm choosing to believe it's something for a case."

"I don't know." Logan sounded skeptical. "He was really pissed about the phone call this morning, Veronica. I really don't want him to hate me. We do lunches all the time and those would be fairly uncomfortable if the man wants my head on a platter."

"You're right. I should stay here. I just remembered I'm mad at you anyway." She said in a huff and jumped out of the parked vehicle.

"What?" Logan asked the now empty seat. He opened the door to follow her, and got tangled in his seat belt for a moment. He had to run to finally catch her as she was unlocking the apartment door.

"I'm sure the tabloids would pay good money to see Logan Echolls reduced to a simpering pansy in your mere presence." He attempted to bury his face in her neck, but she shrugged him off. His hands locked onto her hips and he pulled her back to him. "You have me tripping all over myself to get here fast enough to stop you." She stood resolutely, unimpressed, and eventually pushed the door open. "Baby." He whispered against her ear and he could feel the tension seep out of her body as she relaxed into his grip. "I'm sorry." She was caving in and began to turn in his arms to get a better look at him, when they were suddenly forced to the ground by a large brown blur. Once on the ground, the blur began furiously licking Logan's face.

"Good dog." Veronica patted Backup on the head and disentangled herself from the pileup so she could enter the apartment.

"Okay, Backup." Logan attempted to sit up, unsuccessfully. "Believe it or not, Buddy, yours is not the tongue I was hoping for. Chill, Boy." The dog continued his playful assault on Logan, who was smart enough not to struggle against an attack-trained pitbull. Even if the dog was a fan of Logan, he would not hesitate to protect Veronica. "Hey, Veronica! Would you help me out of this, please!"

"I'm still mad at you." She sang from the kitchen, where she'd pulled out a water bottle to sip.

"And I said I'm sorry!"

"For what are you sorry, Logan?"

"Everything?" He tried.

"Then your apology is useless because you don't even know why you're apologizing."

"Care to enlighten me as to what you're mad about, Sugarpuss?"

"You lied to me."

"About what?" He tried gently pushing the dog's face away, again to no avail.

"Then you flew out of the parking lot, you ass."

"Oh. That." He realized. "I really am sorry."

"Yes, that. But of course that begs the question. If you weren't sure what you lied about, what else are you lying to me about?"

"Nothing." His annoyance was beginning to show. "And if you really are mad, then why don't you talk to me like a rational adult would? Don't think I didn't notice the hand signal you gave the dog when you opened the door. You really don't have to sic your dog on me to make me stop."

"I'm just keeping Backup's reactions sharp while I'm buying some time. I'd like to keep this old dog's old tricks up to par." She remarked.

"Buying time for what?" Logan asked, the frustration now evident in his voice.

"Backup, Bedtime." She finally commanded her dog. The dog careened away from Logan and jumped up onto the couch inside. Logan sighed in relief and clambered up off the cement walkway. He looked to the kitchen area to find it empty and realized her last statement had sounded farther off than the previous ones.

"Aren't you even going to say goodnight?" He whined.

"Can you come back here? I need your height to reach something." She called from her bedroom. He looked from the dog to the hallway. A deep breath escaped him when he saw the shirt she had been wearing was now on the floor. He shut and locked the front door and moved to pet the dog's head.

"Okay, Boy. Remember our old agreement?" The dog looked at Logan warily. "You say nothing to Keith about anything you see or hear and you get a bag of bones? Remember? Well, I'll up it to a slab of filet mignon if you signal me with a bark in case he comes home while I'm back there." Logan walked a step and bent down to pick up her shirt, then looked back to the dog. "This is going nowhere good." He whispered. A little further down the hallway, was her lacy camisole. In front of her door lay a pair of jeans, looking like they'd just been stepped out of.

"What's taking so long, Logan?" Veronica called innocently from inside her room.

"I was cleaning up after a certain messy girlfriend of mine." He answered, walking into her room backwards so he wouldn't be able to look at her. He knew himself well enough to know that the second he saw her, he'd lose his resolve to get out of the apartment. He tossed the clothes he'd gathered onto the desk. "What do you need help reaching?" He avoided looking at her by feigning interest in the pictures on her wall.

"The blue box on the shelf of my closet." She replied. "I want to go through it before we go back to LA. He eyed her closet, feeling her stare burning holes into his back.

"There are three blue boxes, Veronica."

"I want that one." She moved to face the closet and pointed at the only one on the right, but Logan failed to notice as he finally took in her appearance. Even with her back to him, he was officially stunned. She was wearing a red bikini. The very same red bikini from the beach all those years ago, if he wasn't mistaken. "Do you think you can reach it, Logan?" She asked, teasingly. "Logan?" She turned around to face him and was met with a dumbfounded stare. She couldn't remember a time she'd ever seen his eyes so dark with lust.

"Logan? Are you okay?" She asked, taking a few steps toward him.

After a long silence, he ultimately answered her. "Not really."

"Why not?" She asked, mocking sympathy.

"Because, at any moment, your dad could come home and discover me fucking your brains out." In a fluid move, he had lifted Veronica from where she stood and pinned her against the door, as it slammed closed. She giggled in surprise and wrapped her arms around his neck.

"I tried to get you to go to the hotel, but you insisted on bringing me home." She sighed between kisses.

"Next time, mention you plan on fulfilling one of my biggest fantasies." Logan groaned against her ear. He repositioned her arms so that he could run his mouth down her neck and made it to her right clavicle when he moaned something unintelligible.

"What?" She breathed as she pulled at his shirt, trying to remove it.

"Coconuts." He pulled away with a confused smirk and he aided her by rapidly peeling his shirt off and throwing it behind him. She returned his smirk with an innocent hunch of her shoulders. "You smell like coconuts."

"Hmm." She frowned in mock concentration. "It's possible I just mixed up my lotion and my sunscreen."

"You'll be the death of me, Veronica Mars." He shook his head in disbelief. She had to know that the sense of smell is the best trigger of any memory. The fact that she smelled like their frequent jaunts to the beach sent him into sensory overload.

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When Keith walked into the apartment, he frowned as Backup jumped up from his seat and barked as he danced around his feet. The dog barked a few more times and licked Keith's hand, excitedly. "Backup, chill." The dog quieted and returned to his place on the couch. This is when Keith noticed the music blaring from behind Veronica's closed door. "You were warning him, weren't you, Boy?" Keith grimaced at the dog, who panted happily up at his owner. "Traitor."

He walked down the hallway with every intention of going straight to his own room. Somehow, his fatherly instincts overrode that decision and he found himself opening her door without knocking. He had to admit what he found shocked him. He was convinced he'd prepared himself for any of the horrifying things that boy could be doing with his daughter. He was wrong. So very wrong. He knew in an instant that the scene before him would be permanently burned into his memory. He knew without a doubt that he'd never look at either of them again without this image pervading its way to the forefront of his thoughts.

His little girl, the baby he cradled in his arms, was wearing a red hooded sweatshirt and jeans. She sat on the boy's lap. Logan's hands were splayed out on the bed behind him and his chin rested on her shoulder as he looked at the item she was describing to him. She was speaking reverently about the pink pen in her hand. Logan's right hand moved to her hip. The gesture was so tender, so full of love, and so intimate, it made Keith want to cry and scream at the same time. There was no doubt in his mind that the intimacy they shared was beyond physical at this point. This was the moment Keith Mars accepted the fact that his daughter's heart belonged fully and completely to another man. Even if she wasn't aware of it at the time.

"Sweetie?" He croaked as he noticed they were so engrossed in the blue box they hadn't noticed his entrance. They looked up in surprise.

"Oh! Hey, Dad. I'm just showing Logan some of the stuff left from high school."

"It's almost midnight. I think you should turn the music down before the neighbors complain."

"Oh! Sorry!" She grabbed a remote and turned it down.

"What time are you leaving tomorrow?" Keith asked.

"We should probably leave by six." Veronica sighed.

"Yeah. We both have to go into work tomorrow morning." Logan agreed.

"Are you staying here, or at the Grand?" Keith inquired, surprising even himself.

"Well, it would save Logan the trip if I stay there. Plus, I was hoping to get in some time at the hotel gym before we leave." She said with more than a hint of disbelief in her tone.

"Okay. Well, I'm going to pack a bag. Cliff has me on a red-eye to Denver."

"What's in Denver?" Logan asked in surprise.

"Bail jumper with a five grand reward!" Keith clapped his hands and danced his way out of the bedroom.

"Veronica jumped up from Logan's lap and turned to him with a devious smile. "That was close." She whispered.

"Too close." He growled at her as he stood up to zip and button his jeans. "You realize I'm never coming to your dad's place again if he isn't home, right?"

"Come on, Logan. We weren't doing anything by the time he got here." She moved to run her hands down his shirt.

"If Backup hadn't barked, your dad would've walked in when we were completely naked." He sighed into her hair as he pulled her into a hug. "I owe that dog a filet mignon."

"Do you realize your shirt is on inside out?" She asked as she played with the hem at his waistline. Her fingers lightly traveled under his shirt and she teased the skin between his navel and the top of his jeans. In a quick movement, he'd grabbed her wrist and spun her around so that he pinned both of her wrists behind her back.

"Knock it off, Kitten." He warned. "Are you trying to get me castrated by your father?" She whipped around to face him.

"I'm not sure right now if I'm offended that you just used a restraint maneuver on me or if it may just be the sexiest thing ever." She cooed.

Logan leaned down to look her straight in the eyes. Just as she was about to lean in to kiss him, he spoke. "I don't do the S&M thing, Veronica. Get your stuff, we need to go get some sleep." His words were resolute and his eyes were dark with pain and sadness. She looked disconcerted, but rather than press the issue, she moved away from him to gather her belongings. They said their good byes to Keith and Veronica asked him to call her once he was back in town. The minute they were in the Escalade, she put her hand on Logan's elbow. He looked at her curiously.

"I'm sorry about earlier. I promise, I didn't mean it like it apparently came out."

"What?" He asked in confusion.

"I think the fact that you can do a restraint maneuver is seriously hot, just not on me." She explained. "I'm not into S&M. Like, at all. Like, it makes me sick not into it."

"I didn't mean it in a bad way, really. I meant it to be a joke." He offered. "But you were really turning me on. I couldn't think straight and your dad was in the next room. I tried not to be rough about the move. I promise." He sounded so remorseful, she wanted to kiss it all better. Instead, she resorted to snarking.

"I'm just saying. You could have just said stop. You didn't have to sic your FBI moves on me."

"Did I hurt you?" He pled with such fear and sincerity it worried her.

"No." She asserted. "In fact, if that's how you do it, you'll never catch any bad guys. I got out of it without even trying."

"That's because I was trying not to hurt you, you know that, right?"

"Logan. Calm down. I know."

"No, you don't get it." He continued. "If I ever, ever hurt you in any way, I need you to promise me that you'll get out. Walk away and never look back."

"Whoa. When did this become the genetics minefield discussion?" Veronica said as softly as she could. She brushed her fingers on his cheek, soothingly.

"I'm serious, Veronica. If I EVER hurt you, you get as far away from me as possible and then tell your dad, so he'll make sure you never see me again."

"Okay. For starters, you would never hurt me, Logan. I have no doubt about that. NONE. NOT ONE." She stared into his eyes as she said it. "Acknowledge that you understand what I just said." She added. He nodded, reluctantly. "Secondly, if somehow you ever get anywhere near that path, I'm not leaving you."

"Yes, you are. That's non-negotiable."

"There's not a chance in hell I'd leave you alone if that happened. First, I'd kick your ass…"She began.

"No." He commanded. "You get out. I am way too much bigger and stronger than you."

"Dick learned to instinctively fear me. Follow his lead."

"This is not a joke, Veronica. You get the hell out if I get even remotely violent."

"Not gonna happen. I won't leave you."

"I can't date you if you don't agree to this! Why won't you just admit I'm right and agree with me?" He was angry at this point.

"Because I know you!" She yelled at him, tears welling up in her eyes. "If you ever turn into anything like Aaron it will kill you. Your next move would be to turn into Lynn. And I'll be damned if I let that happen. If you ever get violent like that, WHICH YOU WON'T, I'll get you the help you need, not walk away and let you kill yourself!"

This was the second time in an hour that the tiny blonde force in front of him had completely stunned him. He had no idea what to say to comfort her. He was sure this wouldn't be one of those times where she relished being right. He was also positive that seeing how well she knew him made him fall even deeper in love with her, but this felt like a bad time to mention that. More than anything, he wanted to stop the fight and wipe the look of panic off her face. She was afraid she'd hurt him by mentioning his parents, he could see it in her eyes. He grabbed her hand and laced their fingers, preparing to say something. He was saved from forming a coherent thought by a rapping on his window. He lowered the window to see what Keith wanted.

"I'm thinking you two should go get some sleep instead of sitting in a parking lot yelling at each other."

"We were just leaving, Dad. Cliff's here." She pointed to the car pulling up next to Logan's. Cliff opened his window.

"Hey, V. Hey, Logan."

"Hey, Cliffy. Thanks for taking Dad to the airport." Veronica smiled.

"If I knew you'd be here, I'd have let him beg you to take him." Cliff answered, dryly.

"Aw, shucks you big softie." She quipped. "I miss you, too, Cliffy! Bye, Dad. Be safe."

"Bye you two. Be good. And Logan?"

"Hmm?" Logan asked, nervously.

"Take care of my girl." Keith tapped on Logan's door and Logan nodded before pressing up on his window control. He opened his mouth to continue the discussion, but was silenced by her quick kiss.

"I'm sleepy. This was like, the longest day ever." She sighed.

"Yeah. We should get some sleep." He agreed. The argument could wait for another time.

* * *

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"Veronica?!" Logan yelled across the hotel room and he searched every nook and cranny big enough for the tiny blonde. "Veronica, if you're here, this isn't funny anymore! Come out!" He called, the desperation seeping into his voice. He ducked to check under the bed, then pushed his way into the empty bathroom and looked behind the curtain for the fifth time. He pulled out his cell phone and quickly found the number to call.

"Hey, Logan." Keith said gruffly, obviously woken by the cell phone.

"Mr. Mars, you haven't heard from Veronica this morning, have you?"

"No. Isn't she with you?" Keith questioned. It registered in his head that Logan had called him Mr. Mars. And that Logan sounded tense.

"Well, not exactly. She went down to the gym about an hour and a half ago, saying she wanted to spend about half an hour down there. I went down to get her half an hour ago, but she wasn't there. I've searched the room and everywhere else I can get in the hotel twice and she's not here."

"Maybe she needed to run an errand before you two leave?" Keith offered.

"Without a car? Where would she go?" Logan's panic rang clear.

"Maybe she borrowed your keys?"

"They're in my hand. The Escalade's in the parking lot."

"Maybe she walked?" Keith was struggling to remain calm.

"Without her wallet? Or her disguise? Or her gun?"

"Maybe she just needed some alone time, Logan." Keith tried. "You guys were fighting last night."

"Yeah, but it was an old argument that we were just re-hashing. And this morning she was annoyed that I wouldn't tell her what you and I talked about at the bar last night. And yesterday we both talked about a lot of things that are high on the things-that-terrify-Veronica scale. Including mentioning my thoughts on marriage. And her initial instinct has always been to run after stuff like that, but she seemed fine. It's like everything was good between us when she went to the gym and now she's gone."

"Logan, did you ask my daughter to ma-"

"No. I just told her I want to marry her. Okay, that's probably stupid. But it's not like it was a big secret. I'm an idiot, I know. But, I need to know where she is. And she wouldn't disappear like this, knowing we have to be at work and we have bigger problems to focus on. We're supposed to be leaving for LA in five minutes. And with a stalker on our tail, and the mafia hating her, and being back here…Damn it, if she did run, what if something happened to her?"

"I'm in Colorado, Logan. Call the gang and start canvassing the neighborhood. If she's on foot, she can't be far."

"Okay. I'll search the hotel again, while I call them." He said, slightly more at ease with a plan to focus on.

"Call me the second you know anything. And, Logan?"

"Yeah?" Logan's voice sounded small and far away.

"She's fine. She's Veronica. She can take care of herself. No worries." Keith reassured him.

"Yeah." Logan added hollowly.

* * *

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"_Veronica Mars!" Lilly Kane said happily as she bounded into the bedroom with an exaggerated gesture._

"_You're in a good mood." Veronica giggled as she looked up from the textbook she was reading. She bounced her legs back and forth as she rested her chin on her hand to give Lilly her full attention._

"_As you should be. We are too fabulous for you to be holed up in your bedroom on this lovely afternoon. Now, get up off that bed, put this snooze-fest history book away and let's get you dressed. We are partying tonight, my dear!"_

"_The legal kind or the I'm-gonna-be-grounded-for-a-month kind?" Veronica mused and bit her bottom lip._

"_As if grounding could keep you down." Lilly teased. "And this is more of the wearing-this-fabulous-outfit-I-brought-you-and-watching-the-boys-claw-each-other's-eyes-out-over-you kind of party."_

"_If there are whips, chains, or leather straps in that bag, you're dreaming Lil." Veronica chastised as she excitedly jumped up and pulled the bag away from her best friend's arms to see what was in store for the evening. She pulled a shimmering hot pink dress out of the bag and looked to Lilly curiously._

"_No, Sweetie. You are."_

* * *

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"Wallace!" Logan called across the lobby. Wallace rushed over to him.

"Anything?" He asked breathlessly.

"No. I've searched the hotel about five times now. I'm going crazy just waiting here."

"She wasn't at any of our usual spots. I even checked the damn high school. It's like Veronica just disappeared."

"Come on, Wallace. You and I know Veronica better than anyone else. Where the hell would…" Logan began as a brunette woman with pointy glasses stepped in.

"I couldn't help but notice you two are looking for someone named Veronica. You don't mean Veronica Mars, do you?" She cooed.

"Yes!" Wallace blurted out.

"Who the hell are you?" Logan challenged.

"Trinity Daniels." She said with an expectant tone. "I'm a field reporter for Access Hollywood." She answered when neither boy seemed impressed. "And you two would be?"

"You asked about Veronica Mars, why?" Logan snapped.

"I saw her here earlier. I just knew she wasn't in that car accident with Logan Echolls. As if he would ever take that mess back." She said with an heir of importance. Wallace choked back a laugh.

"When did you see her?" Logan demanded, adjusting his baseball hat to prevent the woman from recognizing him.

"She was in the gym. Which, by the way, she really needed. She's really let herself go since high school." Trinity remarked.

"Did you talk to her? How'd you know it was her?" Logan asked.

"I knew the minute I saw her. But she lied and told me her name was Betty. But, hello, what kind of an entertainment reporter wouldn't recognize Veronica Mars in Neptune on the tenth anniversary weekend of Lilly Kane's murder?"

"Did she say anything else to you?" Wallace interjected as Logan froze.

"Just that she needed water. But she never came back to the gym, and the desk Nazis won't give me her room number." Trinity complained. "Are you friends of hers? Did you know Lilly?"

"Friends of whom? I don't know what you're talking about." Logan stated coldly. He pushed Wallace out the front door. "Hurry. We've got to get there fast."

"You drive." Wallace said as he raced with Logan to the Escalade. "Where are we headed?"

* * *

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"Lilly, wait!" Veronica laughed as she chased after her best friend. They were both running on a beach in formal dresses.

"_Veronica Mars, you'll never catch him if you can't even keep up with me!" Lilly hollered back at her._

"_This dress isn't really made for running on the beach." Veronica whined as she attempted to keep the strapless concoction from revealing all of her assets._

"_If you ditch the dress completely, he'll stop running from you and start running toward you." She joked._

"_Why is he running at all, Lilly? I thought we were 'too fabulous to resist'?" Veronica quoted._

"_We are!" Lilly declared with a stamp of her foot. "And you're right! He should chase us, not the other way around." Lilly lifted her dress up to reveal her upper thigh in a suggestive fashion. Suddenly throngs of boys surrounded the girls and Veronica was pushed aside._

"_Lilly! Lilly, where are you?!" Veronica shrieked, trying to push back through, but was stopped at every attempt. "Lilly!"_

"_The 'why' matters, V!" Lilly yelled over the crowd._

"_What?" She cried. "Lilly!"_

"_Veronica. The reason is more important than the person."_

"_I don't understand, Lilly."_

"_You can't make it stop unless you find out why!" Lilly yelled again._

"_Lilly?" Veronica yelled back. "Lilly! Come back!"_

"_Mommy? Where's my mommy?" A little blonde girl cried in the midst of the boys. "Mommy!"_

"_Veronica!" A voice in the distance called to her._

* * *

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"Veronica!" Logan and Wallace yelled as they ran full speed at her seemingly lifeless body from across the large lawn. Logan arrived first, by seconds.

"Veronica!" He dropped to the ground to pull her into his arms. She immediately shook herself awake with a panicked expression on her face.

"Logan?" She questioned in confusion. "Oh no. I must have fallen asleep."

"Thank God you're okay." Logan sighed into her neck.

"V! Damn it, you scared the shit out of us!" Wallace growled as he joined the hug awkwardly. When both men released her, the cold marble against her back brought all of her emotions back.

"I forgot." Veronica choked out before a tear slid down her cheek. Logan pulled her to her feet and hugged her tightly.

"It's okay, Veronica. You didn't know what day it was. That's not forgetting. It's okay." Logan soothed. "I miss her." He whispered into her hair. Logan continued to hold her and motioned for Wallace to call off the search. After he'd called Keith, Mac, Dick, Weevil, and Deputy Leo D'amato, Veronica started laughing.

"What's so funny?" Wallace looked at her curiously.

"Considering the disaster of a dinner last night, it's just funny that you have an entire army of people out there looking for me."

"It's not funny, Veronica. People were really scared." Logan stated, somberly. "What if he'd found you?"

"Or you were hurt or kidnapped?" Wallace added.

"Or you freaked on me and ran." Logan then mumbled.

"I'm sorry, guys." She sighed. "I was on the treadmill and this woman started hounding me with questions. Then she mentioned it was the 10th anniversary and I did freak. How could I have forgotten that? So I decided to run here to see her. I figured I'd be back in no time. But I sat down...and next thing I know, you're here."

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"How fast can you drive?" Veronica asked as they turned onto the I-5 North onramp.

"I can go as fast as I want. I'm a federal agent." He snickered.

"Good, because it's seven-thirty and the meeting's at ten."

"We wouldn't have been late if you hadn't disappeared." He retorted. "Sweet Pea." He added in a sarcastically sweet tone.

"I'm a horrible person. Sorry." She added, just as sarcastically.

"You do realize, if you'd just come up to the room and said we should go to Lilly's grave, it would have saved time and none of us would have panicked, right?"

"And you realize if you keep lecturing me, I'm going to start calling you, Dad, right?"

"Come on, Veronica! You scared the shit out of me-US." Logan complained.

"I understand that. I also understood it the last twenty times you said it. And the times Wallace said it. And the time my dad said it on the phone. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have gone. I shouldn't have sat down. I really shouldn't have fallen asleep. I shouldn't have let that reporter get to me in the first place. And I definitely shouldn't have done any of it without first clearing it with you, and Wallace, and my Dad, and Mac, and Dick, and Weevil, and the Balboa County Sheriff's Department."

"Well, as long as you see it my way, your apology is accepted." He smiled. She rolled her eyes in response.

_please, please, please review...thank you, thank you, thank you._


	20. Back at the Office

**A/N: Hey, I know, I'm terrible at updating. Sorry, I've been SUPER busy at work, and it really cut into my writing time. I'm working on it though. To all of my reviewers, you are awesome! You've been helping me in so many ways I can't even believe it. And I can't believe how close to 200 reviews I am. That's just unbelievable! If I get some time during the day tomorrow, I might be inclined to post a little bonus addition to this chapter. We'll see.**

**A/N2: Sorry I never put a chapter up to explain that I was just slow to update, not giving up. I really hate when I get story notices and find out it's just a note to the readers. It's just a bummer to get excited for a new chapter and then find nothing.**

**A/N3: Disclaimer: I own nothing. But I hope you enjoy this as much as I enjoy writing it. ( Please review!!**

Veronica really did enjoy coming into the office in the mornings. Everyone seemed to give off energy and excitement for the possibilities ahead of them. Unlike most people, she actually liked Mondays even better, because people were more transparent. She could easily see that the rookie she passed had spent way too much time drinking the night before and definitely not enough sleeping. She could see the other blonde agent flirting with the man she'd clearly slept with the night before, giving him the brush off, if Veronica wasn't mistaken. And she wasn't. She sipped her macchiato with a smile as she strolled over to her desk and tossed her messenger bag onto her chair.

"Veronica!" Callie Farmer exclaimed as she rushed across the room and threw her arms around the stunned blonde. "You're okay! When did the hospital release you?!"

"Callie? Are you okay? You're hugging me." She responded in confusion.

"I thought you were in a coma!"

"What? Why would I be in a coma?" Veronica questioned.

"You were in a car accident!"

"No I wasn't."

"It was on the news! And I tried calling you all weekend but you never answered. And the hospital said they couldn't comment on your condition." Callie stammered.

"Okay, I wasn't in an accident. I wasn't in the hospital. I WAS in Neptune, visiting my Dad all weekend. And I realized when I got there that I had forgotten my phone at home. I just got back this morning and I haven't checked my messages yet."

"It really was on the news." She defended.

"Why would I be on the news even if I had been in an accident?"

"You were with Logan Echolls." Callie explained.

"What? What did he do?!" Veronica growled and looked wildly around the office for the tall, cocky, all-too-familiar silhouette. She spotted him at the center of 'The Boys Club' animatedly telling a story, complete with his over-the-top hand gestures. "I'm going to kill him." For the second time in less than a week, Veronica found herself charging across the office to very publicly accost her ex-boyfriend. She steeled herself as she pushed Omar aside, to take an attack position looking Logan straight in the eyes. The other guys looked at each other and then to Logan to gage how to react to this pushy little interruption.

"What did you do?" She thundered at him. Logan smiled for his audience. She recognized it as his paparazzi smile. It was his indication that he was about to verbally eviscerate someone. Rather than bracing herself for the blow, Veronica got a sparkle in her eye. She was about to have some fun. Logan looked around the room and up at the ceiling before responding.

"An accusation from Veronica Mars? For a minute I thought I was back in high school. But no, the desks are definitely different."

"I can see why you'd be reminiscent of high school, seeing as how it was the best time of your life, I'm sure. Back when your only goals were getting beer and getting girls to drink enough of it that they'd sleep with you." The guys jaws all dropped as they watched the conversation volley back and forth, unsure of which agent to side with: their coworker of a year, the girl they'd all lusted after at one point or another, or the famous guy with all the great stories.

"Ordinarily, when a woman barks at me like that, I ask if she woke up on the bitchy side of the bed, lucky for me, I know bitch is just in your nature." Logan bit back at her.

"Wow. Playing the 'bitch' card so soon? I think you're losing your touch, Logan."

"Rest easy, Bobcat. I can go all day." He smirked at the guys to ensure they didn't miss his double entendre. They hadn't and some tried to cover their amusement at his crack that would surely cause the tiny blonde to back down. If they had learned one thing about Veronica Mars, it was that she did not discuss her personal life with others. Callie had inched her way over and was now watching, wide-eyed from outside the circle.

"Really? So that's something you must've learned AFTER we broke up, right? As I recall that was definitely not the case while we were together." She launched her attack in the exact spot to cause collateral damage. The guys listening were mouthing their shock at her statement. Logan laughed solidly to prove he thought her attempt was ridiculous.

"That's funny, after all those times you screamed and called me things like sex god? I must have missed where you were left wanting." He raised an eyebrow at her.

"I guess I shouldn't be surprised you'd have me confused with one of your hookers. You do know they say those things because you pay them, right?" She raised her eyebrow back at his challenge. The people gathered around them tried to muffle their snickers.

"At least hookers admit they're in it for the money." He said in the most 09er-worthy voice he had. This had the entire group of people gasping. One of the male agents let out a low whistle. "So, did you really come over here to tell the whole office that we've had sex, or did you have another purpose? I mean, I get that you want to brag about being with me, but it does make you seem a little desperate."

"I want to know what ridiculous publicity stunt you've dragged me into this time." She crossed her arms over her chest.

"None I can think of. Tell the truth. You're really just here because you want another go at the Echolls family jewels, right? You certainly seem like you need a good ride on the long board. What's the matter, can't find anyone around here man enough for you?" He asked, coldly, noting that Seth had just walked in and was listening to the repartee in confusion.

"Long board?!" She chastised. "Isn't there some kind of rule that it has to be long to be called a long board?"

"Wow. That's like the fifth time you've made a reference to my package. Careful, or I'll start thinking you miss it, seeing as how you're so fixated on it." He oozed. "So, are you going to come out with it or not? We were having a discussion when you so rudely interrupted us." He waved his hand at the guys still standing in a circle around them.

"Why are there reports that I was in a car accident with you?" She complained.

"That's strange. The reports I saw said I was with an unidentified attractive blonde. You must be really humble to automatically assume they were talking about you." He responded sarcastically.

"Well, one of the stations must have reported it was me. My friends have been freaking out about it. Now, explain."

"Well, let's see. I was indeed with a seriously hot blonde this weekend. Come to think of it, I was also with this amazingly sexy brunette. It was a pretty good weekend. I'm actually a little sore."

"You're disgusting." She sneered.

"Oh, and there was this one thing. Someone crashed a stolen SUV and for some cracked out reason the fake plates they used were the same numbers as mine. A friendly officer of the law dropped by to inform me while I was exploring the flexibility of the brunette."

"Why didn't you have your publicist make a statement?" She grilled.

"I don't think her flexibility is anyone else's business." He deadpanned. One of the agents laughed out loud at this. "Besides, I can't even remember the girl's name to get it out there."

"Seriously, Logan, do they treat you for all of your STDs individually, or do they have like one big medication cocktail?" She said with her most curious sounding voice possible.

"Seriously, Veronica, how long has it been since you had good sex? I mean you can't be this uptight if you're actually getting laid."

"Briefing room, NOW!" Director Hendricks called as he rushed out of his office with a cup of coffee. The agents all scattered instantly to accommodate the 'request'.

* * *

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

_Three hours earlier_

"I can't wait to get my Rover back. I hate Trina's Escalade." Logan mumbled to himself as he raced up the freeway toward Los Angeles. "Want to make a phone call for me?" He glanced over at the blonde, resting her head on the window next to her.

"Anything to not talk about this morning and how mad at me you are." Veronica sighed and held out her hand for his cell phone. He pulled it from his pocket and handed it to her so he could focus on the road in front of them.

"Call Kelly on speakerphone."

"She's in here as Bella?" Veronica asked, remembering the other time she'd done this for him. She sat up to maneuver her way through his address book.

"Yeah."

"Why Bella?" She asked, hoping to avoid letting on that she wasn't sure how to take Logan's affectionate relationship with this beautiful blonde she'd never met.

"It's her nickname." He explained. "Well, Jeff's nickname for her is actually Bellissimama, I shortened it to Bella. And she went through and changed all the names in my address book a while back." Veronica nodded at this and started the call.

"Hey, Logey-Boo!" Kelly's voice piped. Veronica snorted in laughter. Logan did not look amused.

"I remember telling you repeatedly not to call me that." He groaned.

"And I remember telling you that it'll stop happening when you stop blushing about it." She laughed.

"I'm not blushing." He retorted.

"Yes he is!" Veronica teased.

"Is that Veronica?" Kelly asked, excitedly.

"Yep!" Veronica said with a smile.

"Kylie's talked non-stop about talking to you. You made a real impression on her." Kelly replied.

"Usually, when people say I made a real impression it means I've made another enemy." Veronica said, nervously. Logan could see that she had in fact tensed up, preparing to hear the worst.

"No, no! She's been running around telling stories about you. She calls you Princess Unnafluffer." Kelly explained. Logan chuckled. "Jeff and I don't really know what that means, but she seems excited."

"Unnafluffer is probably undercover." Logan explained. "She must think Veronica really is a princess, but she's undercover as an agent."

"I can't imagine where my daughter would come up with that idea, can you 'Olo'?" Kelly said sarcastically.

"No clue." Logan replied, obviously lying.

"Well, I'm guessing it's those bedtime stories you tell her about Princess Veronica and Duncan the Dragon and Pizzy the Court Jester and…"

"Kelly, stop!!" Logan exclaimed, desperately.

"Hold up." Veronica interjected. "Time out. Duncan the Dragon and Pizzy the Court Jester?! Are you kidding me?!" She stared at Logan incredulously. He sighed in embarrassment. "Are there any other 'characters' in these stories?"

"No!" Logan urged.

"Of course there are." Kelly giggled. "There's Troy the Troll, and.."

"Troy the Troll?! Logan, this is ridiculous!!"

"What? Why? What's going on?" Kelly inquired.

"You just listed my ex-boyfriends as a dragon, a court jester, and a troll." Veronica challenged as she poked Logan's shoulder.

"Your ex-boyfriends? Wow, those stories are starting to seem less original, Logan." Kelly chastised. "Wait, Veronica, you dated a person named Pizzy?"

"His last name is Piznarski. He goes by Piz." Veronica clarified.

"I actually called you for work-related purposes, Kelly." Logan attempted to change the subject.

"We'll get to that later, Logan." Veronica interrupted. "Kelly, was there a prince in these stories? Was his name Logan, perhaps?"

"Now that I'm seeing the trend, I'm surprised he wasn't named Logan. The prince in the stories has a weird name. It's something like Cale or Hale." Kelly answered.

"Kelly, I need you to call Hendricks!" Logan ordered, interrupting her speech, the desperation seeping into his voice.

"Prince Lale! That's what it is." Kelly realized out loud, ignoring his pleas.

"Lale? Like L.A.L.E.?" Veronica questioned gleefully.

"I guess? He's never written them down, as far as I know." Kelly's amusement could be heard over the phone.

"Tell Hendricks to bump the briefing back to eleven thirty, so Veronica and I won't be missed when we're both late." Logan interjected again, this time more forcefully.

"Logan IS the prince!" Veronica declared and she clapped in excitement. "L.A.L.E. Logan Andrew Lester Echolls."

"Hey!" Logan yelled at her.

"Lester?! How did I not know one of your middle names?" Kelly squealed. "You really did get a celebrity baby name!"

"Lester is my mom's maiden name." He defended. "And up until a minute ago, no one in the U.S. knew it was my middle name besides Veronica Lorraine over here."

"Logan!" Veronica screeched. "You just broke our pact!"

"In retaliation for you breaking it first!" He scoffed.

"Yeah, but I did it unwittingly. You said it maliciously!" She justified.

"Oh give me a break. Like anything you've ever done has been unwittingly." He frowned.

"Okay, children." Kelly chided. "Take it easy. Why are you two going to be late, Logan?"

"Veronica Lorraine decided to take a nap in a graveyard and didn't tell anyone where she was going." He baited.

"Get over it, already, Logan!" Veronica dropped her head back on the seat with a thud.

"Nap in a graveyard? Do I even want to know?" Kelly asked.

"No!" Veronica stated. "And Logan? If you don't stop saying my middle name, the consequences we decided upon in the pact will be the last of your worries."

"Please! How do you expect to smash a pie in my face in front of the whole school? We aren't twelve anymore, Veronica."

"You sound twelve." Kelly observed.

"Maybe I'd pants you in front of the briefing." Veronica thought out loud.

"It'd certainly show everyone else in there that I definitely have the biggest…"

"Logan!" Kelly blurted out to prevent him from continuing. "What reason would you like me to give Hendricks for you having the briefing moved?"

"Be creative. That's your specialty." Logan responded. "How's Baby Logan?"

"We are not naming our baby Logan." Kelly stated, apparently used to this argument. "And, other than playing soccer with my kidneys, he's fine."

"You say you won't name him Logan now, but when he gets here and you get all gushy about how much you love him, you'll want to name him after the guy who means the most in your life." He added egotistically.

"Somehow, I don't think I'll name my son Ben or Jerry, Logan." Kelly snarked. Veronica let out a loud laugh at this.

"Remind me whose house you are currently living in, Kelly. Oh wait, that's right…Mine." He responded.

"Like you're using it. Get over yourself, Little Boy. We said we'd stay at our own house during the construction, but you refused and made us move in with you. Don't think we don't know why, either."

"Because I'm nice and I know that paint fumes are bad for pregnant women?" Logan said crossly.

"You wanted to play video games with Jeff at all hours and you needed a house sitter while you're in LA." She countered. "I've got work to do. I'm going to go. In case anyone asks, Hendricks will postpone the briefing because of a teleconference with the Eastern Division Directors, by request of Manuel Ramos."

"And that's why you make the big bucks, Bella." Logan laughed. "You're a convincing liar."

"Actually, he's going to have to join the conference call. You just got him suckered into it, so you'll probably be his favorite person today." Kelly warned him. "They're going to be discussing sexual harassment laws."

"Perfect." Logan sighed.

"Nice talking to you, Kelly." Veronica called out.

"You too, Veronica. Next time you're in Virginia we should definitely hang out. I want all the dirt on Logan Lester."

"Logan Andrew!" Logan grimaced and lightly pushed Veronica's arm for ratting him out to his friend.

"Sorry. Logan ANDREW Lester." Kelly laughed as she ended the call.

"I'll get you back for that, mark my words, Veronica." He charged.

"Hey! At least I didn't mention that Lilly always called you Child Mo." She teased. He slumped down in his seat a little at the thought of being called a child molester by the girl he used to worship. "And thank you for not mentioning that she called me Quiche." Veronica rolled her eyes at the thought of her old best friend using their middle names against them.

"Do you remember the time you punched Duncan in the stomach for calling you Quiche Lorraine?" Logan smiled.

"Yeah." She said impishly, remembering the hurt look on Duncan's face at the time.

"Lilly told him you liked that nickname. He was trying to impress you because he liked you, but then you punched him and I thought he was going to cry." Logan chuckled a little at the memory.

"Lilly made him do it? Oh great, now I feel horrible."

"He got her back after that. He emptied all of her nail polish bottles into her favorite pair of shoes." Logan grinned.

"What?" Veronica said, awestruck. "We thought Carrie Bishop did that because Lilly kissed Jeremy Lewis!"

"No. That was definitely the work of Duncan." Logan shook his head.

"That doesn't sound like something Duncan would have come up with on his own." She raised an eyebrow at him.

"Are you accusing me of being involved?" Logan asked, bracingly.

"I was simply observing that Duncan rarely had such malicious ideas by himself. And you were his best friend."

"So, you think I'm responsible for every bad thing Duncan ever did?" Logan asked pointedly. Veronica instantly realized she had jumped into the deep end without looking. She paused before answering, trying to navigate around the murky waters.

"What I meant to say, was that Duncan wasn't really creative enough to come up with such an awesome retaliation." She answered carefully. "It was perfect. Hit her right where it counted."

"And your precious Duncan wouldn't be that mean?" There was definitely more than a hint of tension in his tone.

"No!" She said in frustration. "He's not MY anything. And I'm not saying he wasn't mean. I'm saying he was…boring…At least, compared to his best friend who kept us all on our toes all the time with all of his 'great ideas'." She looked up at him with wide eyes. Logan laughed at this admission.

"I'm sorry. I'm just messing with you. It was me. Well, it was my idea, and when Duncan chickened out after one bottle of nail polish, I even finished the job."

"I really hate when you do that." She quipped. He reached over and brushed her cheek with the back of his fingers, gently. "I'm serious, Logan. You pretend to be all jealous about Duncan one minute, and the next thing I know, you're yelling at me about how you'll never be able to compete with him."

"Well, to be fair, it's fairly hard to be jealous of a guy who is basically non-existent. Even if he did come back, he'd be in prison. But, he'll always be your first love and that's what's hard to compete with."

"I have a confession, Logan." She said abruptly.

"Okay?" He asked timidly, frightened of what would come out of her mouth next. "Is this the kind of thing where I'm not going to want to be driving when you tell me?"

"Did you read Duncan's emails to me, or just read the FBI summary?"

"The summary, why?"

"You should read the emails, Logan. They're encoded." She focused everything in her on twirling the ring she wore on her right hand while she awaited his reaction. He remained silent and she ventured a glance up at him just in time to see the Escalade fly across the freeway and screech to a stop on the shoulder, sending a cloud of gravel flying behind them. He gripped the steering wheel with both hands and took a few deep breaths.

"Why didn't the FBI note the emails are encoded, Veronica?" He eventually questioned, more calmly than she expected.

"I don't think they know." She replied, quietly.

"Are you fucking kidding me?!" He exhaled deeply, and turned to face her with a menacing stare. "You're communicating with the guy you aided and abetted out of the country?! You're talking to fucking Duncan? The same Duncan who fucking cheated on you?! Duncan Fucking Selfish Bastard Kane?!"

"So, this is you not being jealous, huh?" She asked with a smile. He instantly deflated, seeing how easily she'd just played him.

"You're just fucking with me?" He exclaimed.

"Admit you're jealous and I'll tell you the truth." She nudged his shoulder.

"I might still be a little jealous." He rested his head on the headrest behind him. She looked at him skeptically. "A lot jealous." He conceded.

"I really do think they're encoded." She admitted. "But!" She put a hand on his mouth before he could resume yelling. "I can't break the code. I have no idea what he's trying to tell me. I think you should read them. They might make sense to you or you might get whatever code they're written in. Look at me bringing you in on one of my mysteries. That's progress, right?"

"If you understood the emails, would we be having this conversation? Because, I don't think it's progress. I think it's you coming to me for a favor." He growled. "A favor that's a federal crime, no less."

"No. Logan, I'm not asking you a favor. I'm telling you that OUR friend is trying to send a message that I can't understand. But I'm okay if I never figure it out. I'm not willing to go to prison only to find out he says 'hi'."

"Yeah right." Logan groaned.

"If I really wanted to find out, I'd have gone to see Clarence Weidman when I started getting them. I wouldn't have waited a year. I know the emails are on his radar. In fact, if I went to him, I could probably just get messages to and from Duncan without email, anyway."

"What makes you think Clarence Weidman knows how to contact DK?"

"He basically told me so the last time I tried to talk to Jake." She said matter-of-factly.

"Why aren't the Feds all over his ass, then?"

"Because CW's too smart to get caught. He's former FBI. Come on, Logan. Can you imagine Duncan surviving this long on his own without some kind of monetary support? He couldn't even do his own laundry. You have to know Jake is bankrolling him."

"I'm sure you're right. But, what? Jake openly told you he's funding Duncan? No way. What'd you give him in return?"

"He didn't tell me. Clarence told me Jake wouldn't accept my bargain and I put two and two together."

"What bargain were you hoping to make with Jake Kane?"

"I was going to get Duncan back for him, cleared of all charges." She stated simply.

"In exchange for what?!" Logan looked at her like she was crazy. "And when was this?"

"For security. It was our freshman year at Hearst."

"Why would you need protection from Jake Kane?" Logan asked, quickly trying to wade through Veronica's misdirection to get to the bottom of what she was obviously hiding from him. She was silent for a moment too long and he turned to face her.

"I didn't." She was playing with the bag she'd just pulled into her lap to avoid his stare.

"You didn't need protection from JAKE, or YOU didn't need protection?" He prodded.

"I didn't need the protection." She sighed. "Look, it's over now. I'm positive he's still in contact with Duncan. Can we just get going, please?"

"Just so I have this right, you offered to bring Duncan home with charges dropped and it wasn't even for yourself? How could you have gotten the charges dropped, anyway? I mean, without resorting to things like blackmail, illegal search and seizure, and or prison time?"

"I'd get the dirt on the Mannings. Then I'd offer to serve the time for aiding and abetting if and only if Vinnie was willing to serve right alongside me."

"You'd blackmail a government official just to bring Duncan home to you? And you wonder why I'd be jealous?" He spat out.

"You're not hearing me, Logan. I just told you I haven't even tried to contact Duncan. I wouldn't have done it for him. I made the offer to enlist Jake's help. Jake refused it. If I wanted to bring Duncan home for me, I never would have gone to one of the people who were instrumental in making my life hell."

"Then why the hell would you risk EVERYTHING to bring Duncan back?!" He was finally so frustrated with the argument he dropped his head to the steering wheel he was still gripping so tightly his knuckles were white.

"Because this guy I know ignored my warnings and beat up the son of a Russian mob boss." She said in defeat when she saw he would not be letting this go anytime soon. Logan's head shot up in understanding. "And Jake had major power over them, so he could call off the hit if he wanted to. But he was an asshole about it and said no, and proved he knew how to contact Duncan. Now, can we please get moving? I need to go home and change before going into work."

He turned slowly in order to look her straight in the eyes, but she was staring out her passenger window. He lightly moved her face toward him with his fingers. Her eyes showed she clearly didn't want to continue the discussion. "I know he talked to Duncan, because an hour after I left Jake's house, CW paid me a visit. He informed me that you would have the protection you needed for the week it would take to convince the Sorokins to back off." She added while he searched for something to say. "Apparently Clarence wasn't a fan of Gory's dad and he had Duncan back him when Jake refused."

"I never would have let you go to prison, Veronica. You know that, right?" He eventually stated emphatically.

"Considering we are having this conversation what, seven years later, do you really think I would have told you what was happening?"

"Some guys get watches, I get a girl offering to serve prison time." He mused, the strain still clouding his voice. "Y'know, a simple 'I love you' would have been enough for me, right?"

"Like you never went to jail for me." She added haphazardly, trying to ease some of the tension in his gaze.

"That's different and you know it." He softened. "One night in county lockup is not on par with federal prison." He reached up and wrapped the fingers on his right hand behind her neck, his thumb caressing her cheek. She sighed heavily at his tender gesture and leaned further into his hand. Her eyes sparkled with tears she refused to let form. "I don't know what I'm supposed to say to this." He admitted. "Thank you, or what were you thinking, or damn, Veronica."

"Look, I know you weren't going to let it go or I never would have told you. It's what I did. And it was a long time ago. And, Duncan's the one who saved you, not me."

"Throwing money at something doesn't make you a hero, Veronica."

"So what, now I'm some kind of a hero?" She joked.

"You've always been some kind of a hero." He answered seriously. He leaned over and pulled her as close as the seat belts would allow them so that he could place a gentle kiss on her forehead. "If you ever pull anything like that without telling me what you're planning, I'll kidnap you and keep you locked up in an underground shelter in some third world country where no one would ever think to look for you." He said half seriously.

"My dad would find me." She added without a doubt.

"He will have helped me kidnap you." Logan countered. She sighed as she acknowledged he was probably right and pulled away from him to look out at the cars passing by them.

"How are we going to play this out at work?" She made a gesture between the two of them. "Assuming we ever make it to work, what with being stopped on the side of the freeway and all."

"I was thinking I'd put a big 'I heart Veronica' poster on my locker with your cute little face in the middle of the heart. Do you think Hendricks would mind if I move to the desk across from yours so I can stare into those baby blues all day?" He gushed.

"Why bother with separate desks? If we just share my desk, I can sit in your lap." She snarked back at him.

"Brilliant! Let's call Kelly and have her set it up." Logan said, going for his cell phone, excitedly. Instead of calling, he set it down next to him and pulled back onto the freeway. He grabbed her hand and pulled it up to kiss her knuckles. "I think we should just wing it when we get there. Act like nothing's changed to keep Seth on his toes."

"So, you get to put your incredible acting skills to use?" She smirked.

"More like you get to let out some of the angry you still have all pent up in there." He pointed at her head.

"Who me? This is the face of an angel." She answered him with a grin.

"Yes, but looks can be deceiving, Honeybunch. Very deceiving."

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

* * *

In the midst of the morning briefing, Veronica's attention was drawn from the copy of the report she read feverishly, by a stern voice calling out assignments. People were assigned to teams, some of which would be out in the field, others going over the profilers' notes and files. "Mars, report to CR-B at 1300 for the Child Abductions Intermediate Protocol Training course."

"What did I do wrong?" She exclaimed without thinking.

"What was that?" Hendricks asked her, warningly.

"Nothing, sir." She covered. "CR-B at 1300, you say?"

"Yes. And thank you Ms. Mars for bringing something to my attention. People. Training courses are a part of working for the Federal Bureau of Investigation. If I hear any of you whining about how you are being punished by taking these REQUIRED COURSES, believe you me, you'll be enrolled in every course we offer for the next six months. You hear me?"

"Yes, sir." The room answered together.

"Dismissed."

About ten minutes after the meeting, Veronica rushed into Conference Room B, approximately three minutes late for her training course.

"You're late." The man sitting at the table complained.

"What are you doing here?" She smiled and sat across the table from him. Logan picked up some paperwork and handed it to her. She reached up to take them from him and he made sure to let his fingers linger on hers for a few seconds. He smirked as he watched her bite her bottom lip to try to stop herself from grinning.

"Weren't you paying attention during the briefing? I'm teaching this course." He looked at her curiously. "I thought that's why you reacted out loud."

"I was reading the stupid report he told us we had to read. All I heard was my name and training. And we all know that Hendricks just loves to give training instead of write-ups."

"Well, your reaction just helped to sell that you hate me." He sighed.

"Did I miss anything else in the meeting? Is anyone else in this training with me?"

"Just you, me, and Hendricks. And Kelly." He acknowledged.

"She's flying out here?!" Veronica asked in confusion.

"She's on the speakerphone." Kelly's voice chimed from the phone in the middle of the table.

"Hi, Kelly!" Veronica replied.

"Hey, Veronica. Just so you both know, Agent Decker will be joining me in about five minutes."

"What kind of training is this?" Veronica questioned.

"This isn't a training." Logan explained. "We're having a meeting about the investigation."

"Oh. Wow. Does this mean I'm in on the investigation now?" She asked in surprise.

"Veronica, you know about the investigation, of course we're going to use you." Kelly laughed.

At the end of the meeting it was clear to Veronica that Logan really did know what he was doing. He'd narrowed the suspect list down to four agents: Jackson Carter, two agents Veronica didn't know very well, named Fiona Chan and Barry Smithson, and of course, Seth. His research had been exhaustive and she wondered how he'd possibly completed as much as he had in such a short amount of time. She noted that Agent Decker wasn't quite fond of her involvement and she felt a surge of pride when Hendricks defended her. Logan ended the conference call and Hendricks walked out quickly on his way to another meeting. Veronica looked at Logan and smiled.

"What?"

"I don't know. I just like watching you work."

"Really? Good to know." He returned her smile.

"If I didn't hate you, I'd seriously kiss the hell out of you right now." She raised her eyebrows at him.

"Did I hurt your feelings earlier? I said some pretty awful stuff to you." He watched her face to get his answer.

"What? You mean our fight? That was so much fun I can't believe I didn't start laughing hysterically in front of everyone. Wait, did I hurt your feelings?"

"No." He scoffed. "None of what you said is true."

"Some of it was." She defended.

"I'm sorry, are you insulting my size and my stamina? That's it. Soon as we're out of work, I'm going to prove to you that what you said was completely untrue. I'm going to prove it all night long." He stated confidently.

"Can't wait." She purred as she ran one of her feet up his leg under the table suggestively. Then she abruptly stood in her place and looked at Logan with a steely glare. "Are we finished here, Agent Echolls?"

"Your training is complete, Agent Mars. You're dismissed." He winked at her.

"Good. I'm going to prove Jack isn't involved. There's no way it's him, Logan. No freaking way." She clarified and stormed out of the room.


	21. Bonus Snippet Not a Chapter

**A/N**: This is a bonus scene. This is not a full chapter, just a quick extra piece. And this really isn't even part of Escaping Neptune…anymore. The bold/italicized words are from the final version that was posted in Back at the Office.

* * *

_The argument as it originally continued:_

"_**At least hookers admit they're in it for the money**, unlike some gold diggers I know who go from a Kane, to a VanderGraff, to an Echolls, to a Gant."_

_"Game, set, match Echolls." Agent Brady whispered to the group. Veronica glared in his direction._

_"She dated a Kane?" One of the other guys whispered back._

_"So, Jackass. You really want to drag exes into this?! At least I never dated my best friend's mom!" Veronica challenged._

_"Step-mom." He clarified. One look at the awestruck group of agents told him to add more detail. "She was a Laker Girl and trust me, no teenaged boy in his right mind would have turned down that good of a hoover machine. Not even the guy YOU were dating at the time as I recall. How does it feel to be cheated on?"_

_"Oh, right, step-mom. That makes it all better. At least I didn't date a girl to make her dad drop his testimony against me."_

_"Really? Like it's so much better than dating a guy because he's a deputy who can get you into the evidence locker?"_

_"You never seemed to mind me having connections at the Sheriff's department when I was clearing your ass of a murder charge. Or wait, two murder charges? They only ever seem to come up when you're being jealous."_

_"Jealous of that pathetic mess? Please. Every time he opened his mouth I seriously wondered what bad Italian mob movie he was quoting."_

_"Yeah, because personal attacks make you seem so much less jealous. It's the same with you every time, Logan. I should have paid attention when Lilly complained about how you were psychotically jealous. But then, you don't really have to wonder what it's like to get cheated on, do you? Lilly definitely took care of that."_

**_"So did you really come over here to tell the whole office that we've had sex, or did you have another purpose?"_**

* * *

A/N2: Yeah, I just posted a deleted/extended scene, basically. It's the original version of 'The Big Fight' scene. I cut this part out because I changed my mind about them getting into that personal of a fight in front of everyone. Basically I was going to have them get too involved in their fight so they suddenly start really fighting. But it felt a little forced and I definitely didn't want them to air their dirty laundry in a room full of their co-workers. I also felt it put them in another light entirely. I kind of felt it screamed 'we're obviously still in love with each other' and I don't want that to be too apparent at the office just yet. There's a major exposure scene coming soon. I posted this because I spent about two months writing the whole scene in my head. It was a lot of work and it was really sad looking at my giant X through this section. The Fight in front of everyone has been rolling around my head since almost the beginning of the story. In fact, I had so many variations in the early stages of this, I should probably apologize to people who drive next to me on my commute to and from work. They all probably think I'm that crazy girl who talks to herself…I guess I kind of am. Haha. And just in case no one noticed, this chapter is meant to kind of mirror the first chapter (Stood Up) and I mean mirror in the Through the Looking Glass kind of way, because she's definitely not the same girl she was on Friday. Curiouser and Curiouser…

_**I hope you enjoyed this!**_

**_-GFP_**


	22. TXT MSGS and 7 Up

**A/N: There are a lot of things I don't own in this chapter. And my birthday's not for a long time, so I have no hope of owning them anytime soon.**

**a/n2: hi! here's a new chapter that was fun to write. hope those of you who have been reading haven't forgotten the story completely! love all the reviews!! keep 'em coming, pretty please!**

_U TELL L YET_

_WOULD YOU JUST BACK OFF?_

_WHEN U TELL L._

_YOU ARE ANNOYING ME. TTYL._

_CANT DITCH ME THAT EZ.  
__TELL HIM RONNIE.  
__TELL HIM OR I WILL.  
__FINE. CALLING HIM NOW._

_NO! I'M GOING TO TELL HIM. CHILL._

_TELL HIM NOW_

_AT WORK. CAN'T NOW._

_CHKNSHT_

_HE'LL FREAK. I'LL LOSE IT. CAN'T BE AT WORK FOR THAT._

_LEAVE WORK_

_FBI DOESN'T WORK LIKE DICK, INC. CAN'T LEAVE UNTIL I'M DONE WORKING._

_CASABLANCAS CONSULTING FIRM. DONT B A H8R._

_LIKE YOU'RE NOT AT A BEACH RIGHT NOW._

_W8ING 4 WIFEY DRS 2DAY_

_WAITING AT A BEACH?_

_SHUT UP YOU_

_THAT'S WHAT I THOUGHT._

_SHOULD I BE JEALOUS?_

_WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT NOW?_

_YOU'RE TEXTING SOMEONE A LOT?_

Veronica's eyes shot up and quickly surveyed the office as she realized the last two text messages weren't from Dick, but from a private number. She noted the possible suspects. Callie, who had her phone in her hand and was scrolling through a list of some sort, Seth, who hurriedly turned away as she looked in his direction, and Logan, who…

_SO SUSPICIOUS. YOU DIDN'T PROGRAM MY NUMBER INTO YOUR PHONE YET, DID YOU?_

_I DON'T RECALL YOU GIVING IT TO ME. DOES THAT MAKE ME A SLUT?_

_HA. YOU DIDN'T ANSWER MY QUESTION._

_WHAT ??_

_SHOULD I BE JEALOUS?_

_OF DICK?_

_NEVER MIND. I CAN TAKE HIM._

_BUT CAN YOU TAKE MAC WHEN SHE FINDS OUT?_

_LOL. PROBABLY NOT. YOU'RE CUTE WHEN YOU'RE TEXTING._

_WHATEVER._

_SERIOUSLY. YOU BITE YOUR LIP. IT'S HOT._

_SO, YOU'RE WATCHING ME INSTEAD OF WORKING?_

_GET BACK TO WORK, MARS. YOUR BEAUTY IS DISTRACTING ME._

_IS THAT AN ORDER, AGENT ECHOLLS, SIR?_

_HERE'S AN ORDER. STOP BITING YOUR LIP. IT'S REALLY TURNING ME ON._

_I THINK THAT'S CONSIDERED SEXUAL HARASSMENT._

_LICKING YOUR LIPS IS WORSE. KNOCK IT OFF._

_THEN STOP LOOKING AT ME, LOGAN!_

_CAN'T HELP IT. YOU'RE GORGEOUS._

Veronica rolled her eyes and re-focused on the computer screen in front of her to continue going over hours of wiretapping, looking for signifiers that could help zero in on the subject of their current manhunt. Logan could see from his vantage point across the office behind a glass wall, that every so often, Veronica's screen changed from transcripts to gossip magazine websites and he made a mental note to ask her about it later. Two hours of work later, Veronica heaved a big sigh and she grabbed her cell phone again.

_LOGAN, DINNER AT MY PLACE TONIGHT?_

_HAVE TO STOP BY THE HOUSE FIRST. 730 OKAY?_

_SOUNDS GOOD. SEE YOU THEN. I'M OUT OF HERE._

_SEE YOU SOON, SUGARPUSS._

_LATER, GATOR. _Logan stifled a laugh as he read the last text and pondered his girlfriend's silliness. Then he began shutting down his laptop and gathering his files. When he left his office he remarked Veronica had already vacated her desk. As he was passing through the office, it didn't escape his attention that heads turned to watch him pass.

"Sir! Can I have a word with you?" Seth walked up to Agent Hendricks as he was about to leave the office for the day.

"Quickly, Mr. Harrington." Hendricks answered.

"I wanted to report an unfortunate breech in protocol, Sir. I have learned of a forbidden relationship among two of the agents under your jurisdiction."

"Is that, so?"

"Yes, sir. And I wanted to inform you of the situation as I feel it could compromise the current operation. Especially because they have not kept you apprised. Lies and secrecy are never acceptable actions for agents."

"Compromise the operation?"

"Yes, sir. Seeing as how the relationship is between agents Echolls and Mars. He is her superior, sir."

"Actually, Mr. Harrington, they have kept me apprised of their current relationship. Which is, of course, far more than I can say for you and your last relationship that I learned of from the office gossips."

"They told you sir? But they're pretending to hate each other." Seth said, unable to mask his shock.

"Yes, they did." Agent Hendricks said with a grin on his face. "In fact, they are having dinner with my wife and I tomorrow night. Aren't you, Logan?" He grabbed the arm of the man walking past them at the moment.

"Aren't I what, Fred?" Logan asked, playing along with this new informal approach. He warily eyed Seth.

"You and Veronica are coming to dinner at my house tomorrow night. Gladys can't wait."

"Yeah, of course we are. In fact, I meant to ask you if you would mind if we changed the location to my place."

"Gladys was really excited to make you guys dinner. You are her first celebrity guest."

"Right, and I really wish we could. But seeing as how I have had a more than normal amount of publicity lately, the paparazzi have been hounding me. If we meet at my place, then I have gates and security to keep the vultures at bay." He continued playing along. "And I have an amazing chef on staff, so your wife wouldn't have to slave away just for us."

"On second thought, she'll probably be ecstatic to see your place. And get to hang out with you and your girlfriend." Hendricks supplied. Logan gave a forced smile.

"My sister might even make an appearance, since we're eating at my place. And speaking of my sister, I have to go, I'm meeting her in about twenty minutes. I really need to get moving."

"Good night." Hendricks nodded his head at Logan. "Harrington, see you tomorrow. I too am late for a meeting." Seth remained rooted to the spot, dumbfounded. His plan back-firing, spectacularly.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"You owe me so big time, it's not even funny, Veronica Mars." Logan said as he was greeted at the door by his girlfriend.

"Hey. So, dinner should be ready in about twenty minutes. I was thinking maybe we could sit and talk for a little bit first." She steam rolled right over his statement as she pulled him in and sat him down on the couch.

"Veronica? I have news. Big news. News that affects pretty much everything at work. And like I said? You owe me."

"Can it wait?" Veronica asked in frustration.

"Seth outed us, Veronica." Logan replied. "To Hendricks."

"WHAT?!" She screeched?

"Yeah. I could kill him. Now, we're gonna be the talk of the office."

"Please tell me you're joking?" She fell back against the couch groaning.

"No. And it gets better."

"How?" She charged, looking at him in disbelief.

"We're going to have dinner with Hendricks and his wife, Gladys at my place tomorrow night. And don't you DARE try to get out of it."

"How did you let this happen?" She grumbled.

"Let this happen? Seth decided to tattle on us and Hendricks covered for us, saying we'd told him we were dating. On the bright side, we now have definitive proof that it was Seth following us."

"What are we going to do, Logan?"

"I called Kelly and told her. She said to neither confirm nor deny anything at work when people inevitably start asking."

"This is a freaking nightmare." She complained and she leaned over to rest on his shoulder. They spent the next fifteen minutes going over plans for work until the timer in the kitchen went off. She hurried over to pull the roast out of the oven and get dinner onto the table.

"Look at you being all Susie Home-maker." He teased.

"Yeah, this? Is called, cooking, Logan. I know it's not something you're very familiar with, but I think you might even enjoy it."

"Oh I do. A hot chick making me food? Can't complain." He grinned from the couch as he picked up her cell phone. He pressed some buttons and suddenly he was reading a message. "Shit, I didn't mean to answer that." He mumbled to himself. "Uh, Veronica?" He charged after he'd seen something confusing.

"Yeah?"

"What are you supposed to tell me?" He asked, curiously. She dropped the pan a few inches down onto the stove.

"What are you doing with my cell phone?" She asked in panic.

"I was programming my number into it for you, and while I was, it automatically opened a message from Dick asking if you'd told me yet." He said trying to explain that he wasn't snooping. "And that he's got me on speed dial."

"Logan, we have to talk."

"You are aware that that's the scariest sentence in the English language, right?" He tried to joke away the fear that had just settled into the pit of his stomach. She put the roast back in the oven and turned it off, then came over to the couch and sat about a foot away from him. She took several deep breaths before looking up to him. "Yeah, this?" He motioned to her stiff position. "Is terrifying me."

"I have to tell you something that I really don't want to tell you. Quite frankly, I was perfectly content with never telling anyone, but Dick thinks you have the right to know and for some reason, I agreed to it."

"Would you believe you're not making me feel any better?" He said seriously as the millions of possibilities started running through his head.

"Could you do me a favor, Logan?" She asked with tension radiating from her voice. He nodded and swallowed thickly. "Could you maybe just let me get this over with and not talk until I'm done?"

"Veronica, you're seriously freaking me out. Are you okay?"

"Please, Logan?" She pleaded. He gestured to her that he'd listen. It took Veronica a couple seconds to gather her nerves and she finally began. "Okay, so, Dick came to visit me at the hospital after the car accident freshman year."

"Wait, you let Dick Casablancas visit you in the hospital but you wouldn't let me?" He interrupted.

"Logan, please don't talk. I didn't let him. I woke up and he was sitting there. Apparently he sneaked past the nurses or something. And it wasn't you that I barred from the hospital, it was everyone." She explained. "I didn't want anyone to see me. My whole world was crashing down on me, the tape was released and Dad lost the election and I was having problems with Jake and I just didn't want anyone there. You beat the tar out of Gory three days before my accident. After that, Piz saw how I looked at you and he didn't say anything. He literally didn't say anything and I did what I do best. I ran. I ran straight to the bathroom and puked my guts out." He watched her with trepidation, trying to figure out where she was going with this and how the hell Dick Casablancas fit in to it all.

"That's when I realized that all the stress in my life was literally making me sick. I'd been throwing up for days. So, I went to the doctor. That was a Friday. They were closed Saturday and Sunday and didn't call me with the results until Monday morning, the day of the accident. I thought things were bad before that. I was wrong. So, after I got the call, I pretty much lost it. I went to the beach and just sat there for about four hours staring out at the waves, gathering up the courage to make the next move. I mean, teenage pregnancy? I'm supposed to be smarter than that, right?"

"Piz got you pregnant?" He asked in shock, not even noticing the tears pooling in her eyes. She shook her head no.

"I was almost four months pregnant at that point." She said quietly, unable to look up at him. He looked at her with a renewed surprise. "I was so stupid that night I showed up at your door after the break up. I didn't make us stop and I knew in the back of my head that we weren't using anything. And the pregnancy couldn't possibly have been a worse time. My dad was already so upset with me and I was leaving for my internship in a couple of weeks and I was dating Piz and everything was just so fucked up." She had begun crying.

"And since it was mine you decided to have an abortion?" He asked without thinking. Her face fell into her hands as she began sobbing. He sat in stunned silence, unable to offer her any sort of comfort.

"No! I was on my way to talk to you. To tell you. And then I was in the accident. And when I woke up they told me I lost the baby. And I couldn't understand why I was so upset. This was like the best thing that could have happened for me, but all I could think of was that I lost the baby. And I felt so guilty and so sad and it all just sucked." At this point Logan's brain finally kicked in and he pulled her over to him.

"I'm so sorry, Veronica. I didn't mean what I said. I'm sorry." Once she'd finally calmed down, Logan laced his fingers with hers. "So, is there a reason you started this story with Dick visiting you in the hospital? Because I swear I seriously had it in my head that you were going to say you two had hooked up."

"What? Eww. No." She smacked his arm softly. "Dick sneaked into my hospital room and I guess a nurse thought he was my boyfriend or something. So she said she was sorry for his loss. So, obviously she hadn't studied up on the whole doctor-patient confidentiality thing."

"Why was Dick even there?"

"He was there to tell me I was being a bitch." She answered. Logan looked at her curiously. "Because I wouldn't let you come see me. But when he found out, he just knew, without me telling him that it was yours. And we spent the next half hour arguing about the fact that we agreed on what to do."

"What do you mean what to do?"

"We agreed that you didn't need to know." She explained.

"Why the fuck would Dick get to decide what I needed to know?" He asked, more confused than angry.

"Logan, he's your best friend. He and I both knew if we told you it would have pushed you over the edge. You weren't exactly the pillar of stability back then. Neither of us could bear to hurt you like that. So we made a deal to keep you away from me until I left for Virginia. I knew if I saw you I'd lose it. I'm so sorry, Logan."

"You've been carrying all of this on your shoulders this whole time?"

"Dick knew. And then when we became friends I could talk to him about it. It's one of the reasons we even became friends." She remarked.

"This is a lot to deal with." He announced.

"Yeah, I know. I understand if you want to go be alone." She concurred.

"I've been alone enough to last me two lifetimes." He quipped. "But, I was thinking, maybe tonight we can just veg out?"

"There's pot roast, if you're hungry." She offered.

"Can we eat pot roast on the couch? And maybe watch a movie?" He asked.

"Definitely. What movie do you want to watch?"

"Ladies choice." He decided. "I'll get us some food while you set up the movie."

"Super girly chicky flick it is." She hopped up and moved to her dvd collection. She made a beeline for a specific movie and popped it into the dvd player. Logan came over to the couch with two plates and then went back to the refrigerator for two Cokes. He settled on the couch with his plate and when she went to sit on the other cushion, he scooted over so that she landed with their legs touching. She granted him a slight smile and he kissed her on the cheek. She pushed play and a familiar song began.

"Is this Across the Universe?" Logan asked.

"Yeah."

"I love this movie. It's not girly."

"And Jude is seriously hot." She was rewarded with a glare from Logan. "Did you ever notice it's the same bowling alley as The Big Lebowski?"

"Yes! I'm so glad you noticed that because I mentioned it to Jeff and he just shrugged like it didn't matter. You always were my favorite person to watch movies with. Dinner was delicious, by the way." He complimented her as he finished his plate and set it on the table. He moved back to put his arm around her back so that he could rest his chin on the top of her head. It was then that his phone began vibrating in his pocket. He pulled it out and glanced at the caller id before answering.

"You're an asshole."

"Dude! What?" Dick frowned into his phone.

"You'd really go over Veronica's head to tell me?"

"Tell you what? I don't know what you're talking about. But if she did tell you, then tell her I said she's a badass. Dude, I was just calling to see if she was with you. She's not answering her phone."

"She's with me. We're busy. Talk to you later." Logan stated before closing his phone and turning it off and setting it on the coffee table. "Dick says you're a badass." Veronica's phone vibrated from the table. She picked it up to check the messages.

_IOU 200 BUCKS, PUNKASS. DIDN'T THINK U'D DO IT_

_TELLING MACKIE 2NITE_

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

_The next day_

"Hello, Veronica." Dr. Narayan said to the blonde in the doorway.

"Hi." Veronica replied as she closed the door behind her. She moved purposefully into the office and sat on the couch. After kicking her shoes off, she pulled her feet up so she could sit cross-legged. The doctor stood up and grabbed a voice recorder off of the bookshelf beside her. She set it to record and placed it on the coffee table in front of Veronica. She brought a notebook and pen set over and sat in the armchair across from the petite blonde, who was drumming her fingers on her knees.

"Before we get into the session, I want to be up front with you about something, Veronica."

"Okay?"

"I spoke with Logan Echolls this morning." The doctor stated matter-of-factly. Veronica wasn't sure what she'd expected to come out of the doctor's mouth, but that positively wasn't it. Her jaw dropped in horror.

"I want to be sure that you're aware that I know about him. You can feel free to talk about that situation in here. He told me you'd prefer I let you know I'd spoken with him."

"I don't…know what you're talking about." Veronica answered icily. She eyed the dark-haired woman in front of her, searching for clues.

"I appreciate that you're trying to protect him. He's a good friend of mine." The doctor explained.

"Friend or 'friend'?" Veronica challenged, using air quotes.

"What do you mean by that, Veronica?"

"Just inquiring as to whether or not you've slept with him." Veronica cut straight to the chase.

"Why would you automatically assume that? Do you not think men and women can just be friends?"

"It's not that. It's just…well, you're his type. Tall, large chest, pretty, and long hair."

"I see." The doctor answered clinically. "Veronica, I was stationed in California about six months ago. But before that I was at my home office. Do you know what department I report to?"

"OP….R." Veronica realized out loud. "You worked with him in Virginia?"

"Let's just say I know what it means when they send someone like Logan to a field office. And I want to assure you that you can feel free to discuss that in here."

"Did you talk to him about my sessions?" Veronica asked, the fear evident in her voice.

"Unfortunately, I can't comment on an open investigation in the OPR, Veronica. However, I can assure you that I would only ever provide information relevant to a case."

"Oh."

"Of course, until today, our sessions have consisted of you giving me one word answers and incoherently mumbling responses. So, you don't have much to worry about, now do you?"

"Oh. I guess so." Veronica recognized this to be true.

"What has changed since the last session that we had?"

"What do you mean?" Veronica asked.

"In all of our previous sessions, you sat across from me at my desk and you were combative about speaking. Now, you're on the couch, you're speaking clearly, you're making eye contact, and you seem relaxed. Fidgety, but calm." Dr. Narayan pointed towards Veronica's bouncing fingers. She instantly stopped drumming and flexed her hands.

"Someone might have pointed out to me that if I were to cooperate, I might get these over with more rapidly. Time off for good behavior, so to speak." Veronica frowned, thinking of Logan's advice.

"You see these sessions as a sentence?"

"Yeah." She admitted. "Mandatory was the word Director Hendricks used."

"What crime did you commit?" The doctor probed.

"Birth?" Veronica snapped quickly.

"Why would you say being born is your crime?"

"My best friend from childhood was murdered. My first boyfriend kidnapped his illegitimate child and fled the country. My alcoholic mother abandoned me. I've been drugged, abducted, raped, locked in a freezer and set on fire, shot point blank…after a while, you have to start thinking there must be a common denominator." She joked bitterly.

"You have quite a colorful history, Veronica. Have you ever seen a counselor or therapist before?"

"Yes. They were also forced on me. If it makes you feel any better, I'm nicer to you than I was to either of them. I just sat there and stared the first guy in the face. That was right after Lilly died. Then the second was the school guidance counselor. I lied to her and only went in for my appointment so I could bug her office to spy on my classmates."

"Lilly was your childhood best friend?"

"Yeah, Lilly Kane. They've been re-airing all of those tv specials about her lately because today is the 10th anniversary of her murder." Veronica looked intently at her hands.

"Last time you were here you asked if I knew of any non-addictive sleeping pills. Are you still having difficulty sleeping?" Dr. Narayan changed the topic to prevent the agent in front of her from shutting down.

"Not as bad as I was. And I haven't had as many bad dreams in the last couple of days."

"What do you think has changed?" Dr. Narayan asked in a very clinical voice. Veronica looked at her suspiciously, unsure of how to answer.

"I guess I've felt safer or something."

"Do you know why?"

"Yes." She answered playing with her thumbs. The doctor waited patiently for Veronica to finish. "My boyfriend. He's always made me feel safer, somehow." She added barely above a whisper.

"Last time we met, you indicated you were planning on ending a relationship. Did that change?"

"I ended that one. Now, I'm back with my ex."

"I see. It appears to be a good change for you. Would you agree?"

"Yeah. I agree."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

_TIME FOR DINNER WITH THE BOSSMAN. YOU EXCITED?_

_AS MUCH AS IF I GOT A PONY._

_LIAR._

_REMIND ME AGAIN WHY WE'RE DOING THIS._

_BECAUSE YOUR BUDDY SETH RATTED US OUT._

_CAN WE HIDE A BONG IN HIS LOCKER?_

_HAHA. WHERE ARE YOU? I WAS GOING TO DRIVE YOU HOME._

_I'M AT YOUR PLACE. I WASN'T FEELING WELL SO I LEFT EARLY._

_I TOLD YOU YOU'RE NOT ALLOWED TO FAKE SICK TO GET OUT OF THIS DINNER._

_I AM SICK. AND I JUST SAID I'M AT YOUR PLACE. SEE? SHOWING UP WHILE I'M AT DEATH'S DOOR._

_WELL, I'LL BE THERE IN ABOUT TWENTY MINUTES. NEED ANYTHING, SICKY?_

_SEVEN UP AND ORANGE JUICE? PRETTY PLEASE?_

_YOU REALLY DON'T FEEL WELL? I CAN STILL CANCEL._

_NO, I'LL BE FINE. BUT I'M REALLY SLEEPY._

_I'M ON MY WAY._

_GOOD. SEE YOU SOON, LOGAN._

"Hey Trin." Logan said as he came into the kitchen with a bag of groceries.

"You know Veronica's here, right?" Trina asked.

"Yeah, she told me."

"She looked like hell when she got here. She's up in your room sleeping."

"Thanks." Logan nodded and hurried up to his room, bringing the drinks with him. When he saw her lying on his bed he smiled, despite the fact that she was obviously not feeling well. "Baby." He whispered against her temple in an attempt to wake her up. He frowned at the heat that resonated from her head. "You're burning up."

"Hmm?" She questioned up at him, opening her eyes.

"I think you have a fever. Do you have any other symptoms?"

"I'm achy and my throat hurts. And I'm cold." She said pitifully, her shivering more than proving her point. He placed a hand behind her neck, then told her to open her mouth. "When did you become a doctor?"

"When I became a babysitter for a three year old who loves to get strep throat." He exclaimed. "Open up." She complied and he inspected the back of her throat. "Well, it looks pretty red, but I don't think it's strep. I have some cold medicine in my bathroom. I want you to take some and sleep. I'll come check on you when they get here."

"Okay, Dr. Logan." She sighed and snuggled into one of his pillows. He shook his head and went to his bathroom to get the medicine. Then came back and moved her to a sitting position. He opened the 7up for her to take the pills and handed the bottle to her. She took the pills and handed the bottle back to him before curling back up on his bed. Logan moved her so that he could tuck her in under the covers. He kissed her forehead and left her to sleep. When the doorbell rang, Logan answered it reluctantly.

"Hi." He welcomed the couple into his house. "Veronica is sick, so she's upstairs sleeping. I'm going to go check on her just before dinner, but I'm not sure if she'll make it down. She had a pretty high fever and I don't want her to get worse or to spread it to you guys."

"She didn't look well when she left the office today." Hendricks commented.

"Yeah, I think she's finally letting herself relax after the Giordano case and it's catching up with her." Logan surmised.

"Aren't you just the caring boyfriend?" Gladys Hendricks beamed at Logan.

"I try. Oh, I invited my sister, Trina, to eat with us, if that's okay." He informed them.

"Oh, how lovely!" Gladys grinned at her husband. Two hours later, Logan and Trina finally closed the front door as the couple left.

"Your work dinners are boring, Logan." She yawned and headed up the stairs.

"Tell me about it." He groaned and followed her. They went in separate directions at the top of the stairs. He went into his room to find a sleeping Veronica. "Babe. Veronica." He whispered.

"I'll come down." She mumbled and moved to sit up.

"They're gone. Your one trip downstairs all drugged up was plenty. I'll be sure to give you crap about that when you're feeling better. I just wanted to see if you need anything before I come to bed." She didn't answer because she'd already fallen asleep. "Sweet Dreams."


	23. Concealment

**A/N: This update is SOOOO long overdue. I'm SO sorry. First, I had a crisis of realization. I realized I'd completely dropped off on a piece of the story that is VERY important later after I'd already finished a chapter...so I began a whole new chapter in the middle. Then, my laptop died and I couldn't afford a new one and it was so old, it wasn't worth saving. Now, I have a new laptop. WOO HOO! Okay, I had a couple questions from people regarding Logan's role in the FBI and I felt they were worth adressing. He does not have a doctorate, he has a double masters and hasn't even thought about geting a phd at this point. He is a good profiler (as in the action of profiling), but the FBI doesn't have a position called 'profiler'. He's working undercover for the OPR to investigate other agents. So he's a slightly higher grade than Veronica, but still basically a field agent. We're using the same line of thinking that if V could get into the FBI with her criminal record, so could he.**

**A/N2: I decided to be extra nice to you and give you a REALLY FREAKING LONG chapter to make up for my absence. You have christykq to thank, because she complained the last one wasn't long enough. Oh, and thanks for the PM christy! I didn't respond because I wanted to get this up asap. I'm not going to lie, this chap took it out of me. I'm exhausted. (Plus I'm an Olympics-aholic, and on the other side of the world from Beijing, so the events were all on REALLY Late here.)**

Logan had been sitting at his desk for about thirty seconds before she knocked on his door. Even with the blinds to his office closed he knew it would be Callie Farmer. She'd been dancing around him all morning. Every time he walked through the main corridor, she stood up to make her way over to him. He hadn't exactly been avoiding her, he HAD been busy with phone calls and meetings, but they did give him a good excuse to postpone whatever conversation the woman wanted to have.

"Excuse me, Agent Echolls?" She began.

"Yes?" Logan asked, not looking up from his computer screen.

"Hi." She said nervously. He knew he could have gone easy on her, but to keep up appearances at work, he chose not to. He didn't respond to her attempt to have him carry the conversation. He clicked open an e-mail. "Okay, uh…Would you mind giving me a minute of your time?"

"That's about all I can give you before I have another meeting." He offered, finally turning his chair toward her.

"Are you dating Veronica?"

"Wow. I thought working at the FBI would be different from high school. You know, less gossip-spreading and more, I don't know, crime-fighting?"

"Look, Harrington is going around telling everyone that you and Veronica are hooking up. And that you both had dinner with Hendricks last night."

"I did have dinner with Hendricks and his wife last night. My sister joined us. Veronica Mars did not."

"Where is she today?" Callie pressed.

"I think Hendricks told me last night that she went home sick from work. Maybe she's still sick." Logan continued vaguely.

"I looked it up on the internet after you fought the other day. You two dated." She attempted to weasel some information out of him.

"We did. A couple of times actually." Logan began counting on his fingers. "Depending on who you talk to it was like four or five."

"What do you mean who I talk to?"

"Well, there was this one time we broke up that I didn't know it happened."

"If you aren't together, why is Harrington saying you are?"

"The office gossips told me that SETH and Veronica were together."

"That's finally over. Seth is an ass. I don't know why she put up with his bullshit in the first place."

"He must be great in the sack." Logan suggested, hiding his disgust.

"Not according to Veronica." She stated. Logan raised an eyebrow at her.

"How unfortunate for her." He retorted.

"Cut the crap!" She blurted out at him. "Are you dating her or not?"

"If I say no, are you going to throw in your bid for her?" Logan ribbed.

"What, I'm in the FBI, so I must be gay?" She scoffed.

"You care so much about her sex life it sounds like you have a crush on her?" Logan contradicted.

"She's my friend. I don't want that asshole talking shit behind her back. Especially when she's not here to defend herself. And if she has a boyfriend, he should be the one to man up and defend her himself. Or at least make sure she has the sense not to look like she's hiding when the shit hits the fan."

"If she had a boyfriend who was a superior officer, he'd probably be smart enough to avoid getting them both in trouble by announcing it at the office." Logan challenged.

"What?" Callie asked in surprise.

"He most likely would have been ordered to keep it under wraps as well. And if he was a really good boyfriend, he wouldn't have let her come into work with a 102 degree temperature." He added. "And knowing Veronica, he'd have had to hide her car keys to keep her home. And he would probably be plotting a way to meet up with Harrington in a dark alley to kick his ass. Callie looked at Logan dumbfounded.

"But…"

"I'm just saying." He ended.

"If you hurt her, I'll break your pretty boy face." She threatened.

"If I hurt whom, Ms. Farmer?" Logan quizzed.

"I'm serious, Echolls. I know a lot of you celebrity brats. If you screw around on her, or hurt her, I'll make sure you won't get any tail for at least six months."

"I'm charming, have famous parents, and money in the bank. Women don't sleep with me just because of my good looks." Logan quipped. "Do your best, or worst, as it may be."

"Let me know how that charm works for you after they have to re-attach your junk." She growled. Logan chuckled. "What's so funny? I'm not kidding you. She saved my life once. I wouldn't think twice."

"For such a cranky person, she really does have a lot of people ready to fight for her." Logan mused.

"She's not a cranky person." Callie defended.

"We are talking about Veronica Mars, right? Are you sure you know her?" he asked with amusement lining his voice. "And trust me, you'd have to wait in line to get a shot in at me."

"They'd step aside when I point out how much more damage I can cause." She insisted.

"You can't possibly do more damage than her pit bull, the computer genius, the gang leader, the former NBA player, and her father, the former Sheriff, and current PI, who also owns many guns."

"Pit bull? She doesn't have a dog."

"Yes, she does. I repeat, do you know her? Because if you did, then you'd know that none of them, and pretty much no one on earth is capable of hurting me more than she is. Or has."

"Y'know? That doesn't sound like a compliment." Veronica stated in a hoarse voice as she walked into Logan's office.

"What are you doing here?" Logan chastised.

"Hendricks assigned me to work with you on the e-mails."

"No. What are you doing here at work? You sound awful."

"I'm fine." She declared, though it sounded more like 'I'b fide.'

"Really? What's your current temperature?" Logan questioned.

"I don't know. Leave me alone."

"Veronica, Seth is going around telling everyone that you and Echolls are dating." Callie informed the blonde who obviously should have stayed in bed.

"Why doesn't that surprise me?" She sighed. Logan slid his chair to her and put his hand on her forehead. He swiftly put his other hand behind her neck so she couldn't pull away from him. "Would you let me go, already?" She swatted at him.

"Chill out. The blinds are closed, no one is watching."

"Logan, I'm fine." She groaned.

"You're still warm. Are you at least taking medicine?" Logan ignored her plea.

"Yes. Now stop treating me like a five year old. I'm here to work."

"So, you two are dating?" Callie inquired.

"I don't know what you are talking about." Logan smiled.

"We don't date." Veronica added coyly. "We're in the FBI. We don't have time for personal lives."

"If you expect me to help keep your secret, you need to come clean with me." Callie demanded. "I need to know so I can offer misdirection for Seth.

"Fine." Logan stated drily, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "Ronniekins is my little dreamboat. I'm madly in love with her." He added, devoid of emotion. "Right, Sugar-Britches?"

"Have YOU been taking my medicine, you crackhead?" Veronica questioned.

"Just high on life, Baby." Logan wiggled his eyebrows at her. "And very late for a meeting." He groaned, turning back to his computer where he typed a sequence of numbers and letters into a pop-up screen.

"Is he always like this?" Callie grimaced.

"Pushy and obstinate? Yes. I believe the attempt at comedy is for your sake only." Veronica replied absent-mindedly as she watched his computer screen. "What kind of meeting are you having? We're supposed to work on those e-mails." She lightly scratched her fingernails on Logan's back.

"Olo!" A little girl's voice loudly cheered from Logan's speakers. He quickly turned the volume down.

"Ahh." Veronica smiled. "That kind of meeting."

"Hey Munchkin." He smiled. "How are you?"

"Is that Logan's?" Callie asked Veronica quietly, pointing at the three year old on the screen.

"Kylie is his god-daughter." Veronica explained as she heard the little girl recounting her day to Logan.

"Is that 'Nonica?" The little girl asked.

"Yep." Logan answered.

"Hi, Kylie!" Veronica said in a sing-song voice.''

"Hi." She replied shyly.

"Hi, Jeff." Veronica continued.

"Hey, Veronica. I hear you've been sick."

"Yeah, I'm not that bad, though." She defended.

"But, you don't sound so good." Jeff laughed.

"I'm pretending to be a sick person to gain extra sympathy." Veronica teased.

"Ah. Is it working?" Jeff questioned.

"A little too well." Veronica complained. "This one would keep me in bed using chains if he didn't know I could pick the locks." She pointed her thumb at Logan.

"I think that's too much information with my three year old in the room." Jeff hinted.

"What?" Veronica asked in confusion.

"And that, ladies and gentleman, is proof positive that Veronica Mars is off her game. She doesn't even catch her own innuendos." Logan interjected.

"Stuff it, Echolls." Veronica quipped.

"Hey, can you do me a favor?" Logan grabbed her hand. She raised her eyebrows at him. "Would you please go get me a Coke?" He asked out loud while motioning for her to get Callie out of his office. "And a hot tea with honey and lemon?"

"What is she, a waitress?" Callie challenged. "How many drinks do you need?"

"Whatever." Logan brushed her off, quietly.

"Callie, let's leave Logan to his meeting." Veronica pulled Callie out of the office.

"Slick, V." She shook her head. "He could have just asked me to leave."

"True. But, he prefers to take the dramatic route every now and then." She chuckled.

"Seriously, Veronica. Don't let this one walk all over you too."

"What? He's not…Who did I let walk all over me?"

"Seth." She said pointedly. "And don't even try to deny it. And now, you're getting the new guy drinks."

"No. I'm getting him A drink. The tea is for me because I'm sick."

"He didn't say that."

"Logan doesn't like hot tea." Veronica informed. "Especially not with honey and lemon. But, I do."

"Oh." Callie sighed. "Well, I have work to do. And I know when I'm not wanted. She made a gesture and stalked off across the office. Veronica made her way to the break room and pulled a can of Coke out of the refrigerator. She then poured herself a cup of hot water, added a tea bag and some honey.

"Hey, Veronica." A voice from behind her sent chills down her spine.

"What do you want?" She grumbled and turned around. She maneuvered away from him and toward the break room door.

"You're avoiding me." He observed.

"You think?" She answered caustically.

"Why?" He asked innocently, then moved over to her and ran his hand down her arm. She shied away from him and gave him a warning glare.

"Stay away from me, Asshole."

"Sweetie. Are you sick? What are you doing at work? You should be home resting." Seth chided in a syrupy sweet voice. She looked at him like he was crazy and wondered, if in fact, he might actually be crazy. "I can take you home and make you some soup."

"Okay, one? Don't call me Sweetie. Ever again. Two? You and I are so completely over, you have absolutely no chance…not even the hope of a chance of ever getting with me again."

"So, what? You're giving up on us because you found RICHER pastures? You realize sleeping with a guy for his money makes you a whore, right?"

"Walk away!" Another voice boomed from the doorway. Veronica and Seth both looked up in surprise. "I said walk away, Harrington." Logan growled.

"We're having a private conversation, Agent Echolls. Your opinion isn't needed."

"I won't tolerate you talking to a fellow agent in that offensive manner."

"Like you'd care if we were talking about anyone besides your fuck buddy?" Seth snapped.

"I don't know or care what your damage is, Agent. Mars, we have work to do." Logan stated. Veronica nodded and followed him out of the break room.

"What the hell is he trying to pull?" She complained in frustration once inside Logan's office. "He's going from super sweet to totally evil in like a second."

"I'm about to go back out there and pull a Thumper on his ass." Logan broke a pencil in half with one hand.

"Thumper got majorly offed. I'd miss your face." She handed him the can of Coke.

"How do you know it was majorly?" He asked.

"Can't reveal my sources. But I hear it was explosive."

"Weevs blew him up?" Logan questioned as he popped open the soda in his hand.

"MY SOURCE tells me it was an explosive end. That's all the information I have." She declared. "So, what happened to your chat with Jeff and Kylie?"

"What do you mean?" He asked, then took a sip of his soda.

"You were in the break room awfully fast."

"Callie saw him follow you in there and warned me." Logan explained. "I didn't figure with you in your less-than-healthy condition that you'd be up for a Seth confrontation."

"And I don't suppose you were big on me being alone with him, either, were you?"

"No. The guy was stalking you."

"So, anyway. Did you want to continue your chat with Kylie?"

"That was actually a cover for my meeting with Kelly. And she had to reschedule for tomorrow."

"Oh. Then we should probably get started on those e-mails."

"Or, I'll work on the e-mails and you can lay down on the couch and rest." He pointed at the couch in the corner of the office.

"I'm fine, Logan. And by the way? Don't hide my car keys again. It took me twenty minutes to find them."

"And you only found them because you are a world class snoop." He teased.

"No. I found them because I had given up and was looking for some orange juice to take my pill with." She admitted.

"You didn't think to look in the fridge? Good to know." Logan smiled. "Or was it that they were so high on the shelf you couldn't see them?"

"Don't mock me. I'm sick." She pouted and stuck her lower lip out at him.

"I wasn't mocking, just pointing out the obvious height difference between us."

Logan and Veronica scanned page after page of personal and business e-mails from the suspects in the office's main case.

"Why do you keep doing that?" Logan asked suddenly.

"What?"

"Looking at online gossip rags?" He pointed at her screen.

"Oh. I'm doing research." She answered still scanning the page in front of her.

"On what? How to snag a celebrity? Wait, you already did that. Or is it that you're worried pictures of us might be on there?" He asked knowingly.

"On France's version of Page Six? Not so much. I told you I'm going to prove Carter isn't involved. This is related to my case."

"What do you have so far?"

"Theories. Nothing to share with you just yet."

Later that evening, Logan heated up the soup he'd bought and brought it into the dining room. He laughed when he found Veronica with her head on her arms, fast asleep on the dining room table. He placed the bowls on the table and picked her up. She snuggled into his hold as he moved toward the stairs.

"Come on, Sleeping Beauty."

"I'm awake. I can eat." She whispered.

"Shh." He kissed her forehead.

"But, I don't want you to have to eat alone." She countered. "Is Trina home?"

"She's at some baseball thing in Arizona. She'll be back next week." He informed her in a soothing tone. "But don't worry about me. I've got case files to keep me company."

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

* * *

"Hey, Jeremy." Mac smiled as she entered Mars Investigations in the middle of the morning.

"Oh, hey, Mrs. Casablancas." The college student called from the receptionist desk.

"Jeremy, please. Call me Mac. I save the whole Mrs. C thing for the country club."

"Okay…Mac." He said tentatively. "What can I do for you? Mr. Mars is out of town right now."

"I think I left a Four Port Serial DB9 adaptor here when I was setting up the networking."

"Hmm. I haven't seen one around here." Jeremy stated, looking around his desk.

"It's in The Man's office." She smiled and pointed towards Keith's door.

"Oh." Jeremy answered in disappointment. "I'm sorry. He didn't leave me a key. I can't get you in there."

"No worries. I have my ways. Veronica Mars IS one of my best friends." She winked. Jeremy stood abruptly.

"Mrs. Casablancas…Mac..I can't let you pick Keith's locked door. I could get fired for that."

"Fine then." She sighed. "I'll just use my key." She held a key up for him to see. His mouth dropped open curiously. "The key Keith gave me. Don't get your knickers in a twist. You can call him if you don't trust me."

"Sorry. It's not that I don't. I just. I really need this job." He apologized and reached for his phone. Mac waited patiently for him to clear the situation with Keith. "He said for you to go ahead. And that he knows exactly how many Peanut M&Ms are in his top drawer." Mac laughed aloud at this pronouncement. She went into Keith's office and ducked beneath his desk to pull the adaptor our of her bag, discreetly. She flipped some switches on a machine and waited for a green light before pulling a disk out and slipping it into her bag. She then slid another disk into the drive.

"What would you need a DB9 adaptor for if you were upgrading the network?" Jeremy's voice in the doorway startled Mac and she hit her head on the desk.

"Ow." She rubbed her head and moved to peer over the desk. "I was multi-tasking. It was a side project for my husband. I was right!" She announced, holding up the adaptor. "It fell behind the server." She jumped up from her position on the floor and placed the adaptor in her bag.

"What kind of side project were you working on?" He questioned for the sake of conversation.

"I was just transferring vacation photos from our digital camera to Dick's laptop. One of these days he'll let me get him a Mac with better hookups." She rolled her eyes and moved out of the office, shutting the door soundly behind her. "But, he's blinded by the pretty colors of his PC."

"I hear I missed the illusive Veronica again." Jeremy inexpertly probed.

"What?" Mac asked curiously.

"I heard Veronica was in town, but I missed her again."

"I hadn't heard that." Mac shrugged. "But, she is known for popping in unexpectedly. It's one of her more charming qualities. Well, I'm off to a boxing match."

"Boxing match?" He wondered out loud.

"Yeah, the programmers versus the graphic artists. Both teams are making unreasonable demands. I get to go tell them all to get over themselves or they'll get a TKO."

"Total knock out?" He surmised.

"Termination and Kiss Off." She smiled wickedly and moved toward the exit. "Have a good day, Jeremy."

"You too, Mrs. C." He waved as she left. Mac heaved a big sigh and pulled out a cell phone. Once safely inside her locked vehicle, she made a call.

"Current weather report?" The deep male voice answered.

"Coastal regions appear clear, sunny, and bright." She answered seriously.

"Forecast?"

"Doppler Radar's down at the moment. Probably won't know the forecast for a few hours." She replied expertly.

"And how's the meteorologist doing?"

"Rattled. In need of face time with the station manager and suspicious that the Doppler was sabotaged." Mac added, nervously eyeing the door she'd just exited.

"I'm sure face time will be arranged within the next twenty four hours." The icy reply came.

"Thanks."

"No, thank you." He ended the call. She closed her phone and put her Bluetooth headset in her ear. She pulled another cell phone out of her bag, began a call, and started her car.

"Hey, Sexy. What's up?" Dick's voice called out cheerfully.

"Not much. Where are you?" She asked, her voice filled with hope.

"Driving." He answered. "Just finished giving the options. We gave three. The band-aid option, which as you know only masks the problem; the four to six year plan to build up the business with minimal cutbacks, and the Benihana Ginsu the place to shit option. Guess which one they chose?" He questioned, sounding mad.

"I'm guessing the Ginsu plan will save them the most money up front?" She offered softly.

"I just lost 6,000 people their jobs." He announced dejectedly. "Where are you? Your car's not at work."

"I'll be there in about thirty seconds. I had to pick up a cable from Keith's office."

"Good. I could use a little pick-me-up."

"Me too." She echoed his sentiment.

"Why? What's up?" He asked as he stepped out of his truck and leaned against the side to monitor the parking lot entrance.

"I'm just feeling really tired. And I threw up about six times already today."

"Damn. Did the doctor say when that would go away?"

"You were in the room. Weren't you paying attention?"

"No." He admitted freely. She laughed soundlessly at her husband and he congratulated himself mentally for cheering her up. She pulled into the lot a second later.

"Baby, I gotta go. I have a seriously hot brunette waiting for me." He hung up his phone and moved to her car door. As soon as she turned off the engine, he'd opened her door and practically dragged her out. The moment she was standing, he'd wrapped his arms around her, protectively. She threw her headset into the car and slammed the door with the few inches of her arm that weren't enveloped by her husband.

"I lied."

"About what, Dick?" She asked as she buried her face into his chest.

"I'm not like Logan. I can't handle it. I don't want you doing this Mission: Impossible shit anymore." He stated into her hair.

"He knows something's up. He was suspicious. It freaked me out." She nodded.

"That's it, then. This is done. Tell him you're out."

"Dick, who else can help him get into Mars Investigations?"

"I don't care, Mac. You're scared. I'm tripping. It's over." He said firmly. Mac breathed deeply and looked up at her husband.

"Other than my undercover ops worries, how are you?"

"Frustrated. That jackass didn't listen at all. We explained that shutting down an entire region would be bad for morale and for publicity, but he was blinded by the damn numbers."

"It's not your fault, Babe." She soothed as she pushed up onto her tip-toes. Her lips met his in a tender kiss. "If you hadn't given him those options he would have gone elsewhere to get them." She locked eyes with him.

"I really need to go up to the hospital today." I haven't been in days." He finally answered after a long pause.

"Yeah. It's been a busy week." She agreed.

"Call in sick and come with?" He asked, sounding like a little boy. Mac was fully aware that her husband did not want to be alone in the hospital. There were too many possibilities. She couldn't pinpoint what would be worse for Dick. His mom getting worse, or her getting better and still not giving him the love he so obviously craved. She thought back to their wedding day and the fact that her parents were there. Even her biological mother was there. _What kind of woman sends a proxy to her first born son's wedding?!_ When Dick's aunt, Jolene, stood up to toast the couple on Bettina's behalf, Mac devised her plan.

"I have a confession to make." She blurted at him suddenly. He looked at her curiously.

"Okay?"

"I hacked into your mom's computer on our honeymoon."

"What?" He sounded utterly confused. "Where did that come from?"

"I just felt like getting it off my chest." She quantified.

"Why?"

"I feel guilty?" She shrugged her shoulders up at him.

"No. Why did you hack into my mom's computer?"

"Because." She justified, hoping it would be enough. He raised an eyebrow at her. "What kind of bitch sends her sister to stand in for her at her son's wedding?!"

Dick put a hand on the side of her face and used his other to play with her hair. "What kind of hacking?"

"I might have registered her for some porn sites and set it up so that every time she went online she'd get some X rated pop-ups. And set it to run a complete diagnostic that requires a shut down every forty-five minutes." Mac unloaded. "Oh…and I reset all of her defaults. I changed her screensaver to a video of bunnies, her desktop image to a photo of Rob Zombie, and her color scheme to blood red and black."

"Did you say bunnies?"

"Yeah. It was a really interesting scene of bunnies mating." She said quietly. This was all Dick could handle.

"You put a video of bunnies fucking on my mom's computer?!" He roared and began laughing so hard tears began falling from his eyes. "I married the sexiest woman on the planet." He announced to the cars in the parking lot. "Wait, when did you have time to do all of that on our honeymoon?" He asked when he finally settled down.

"It didn't take me all that long, and it was mostly while you were sleeping."

"So, would this be the right time to tell you that I sort of told her not to come to the wedding?"

"You what?" Mac demanded, suddenly looking white as a ghost.

"Look, she was being a bitch. And she made one of her bitchy comments about me marrying you. So, I told her if she couldn't be supportive, she shouldn't bother coming." He confessed. "I didn't think she'd take me up on it."

"She shouldn't have." Mac grumbled. "I'm sorry."

"For what?" Dick smiled.

"Your mom hates me. That can't be easy for you."

"Mackie, I haven't cared what my mom thought since she left me and Cassidy because she wanted to stick it to my dad. She used me as a weapon. I was only nine."

"I know, but she's your mom, Dick. Deep down, you still love her." Mac stated. Dick looked at her skeptically. "Deep, deep down." She sighed. "You're worried about her, which proves you do love her."

"Fine. But I don't like her."

"If I'm going to LA today, we need to call Logan, because we're not driving up only to turn around and come right back. And I need to pack a bag."

"I'll follow you home and call Logan on the way." Dick said excitedly.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

* * *

"Hey." Veronica knocked on Logan's office doorway.

"Hey. Dick just called. He and Mac are coming over tonight after they go to the hospital."

"Any word on his mom?"

"He didn't say. You want to hang out tonight since you're feeling better?" He asked with a hopeful look on his face. Before she could answer, her cell phone rang.

"Hey. What's up?" She answered.

"Hey, V. I've got a last minute meeting in LA tonight. Can I crash on your couch, like usual?"

"Well, I don't have a problem with that, but I'll probably be at Logan's because Mac and Dick are coming up. Wanna party with the gang and then we'll go back to my place?"

"That's cool. I'll call you when I'm done with my meeting."

"You betcha. See you tonight." She ended the call and put her cell back in her pocket.

"Who are you taking back to your place?" Logan questioned.

"Why? You jealous?"

"Curious." Logan answered. "Unless it's someone to be jealous about…" He crossed his arms, defensively.

"My big, strong, brown-eyed, devilishly handsome…" Logan narrowed his eyes at her. "…BFF, Wallace, is going to be crashing on my couch. Can I bring him over to our play date with Mr. and Mrs. C.?"

"Why don't you have him stay at my place? There are plenty of rooms."

"He'd probably like a bed…" She agreed with a smile.

"And then I get to sleep with you." Logan grinned.

"I don't know about that. Extra rooms you say?" She smirked.

"Ha, ha." Logan pouted.

"Do you have a good reason I shouldn't try out your guest rooms? I don't know, something of an incentive, perhaps?"

"My bed is the best in the house. I have the best view in the house. Sunlight exposure is minimal, which means it's easier to sleep in." Logan answered.

"I'm going to need more than that." She shook her head at him.

"I smell like musky caramel after it rains?" He asked smugly. Her eyes popped wide open.

"What?"

"Well, that's what you said the other night while you were doped up on Tylenol Cold." He teased.

"Please tell me I didn't say that in front of Hendricks." She said as a wave of mortification washed over her.

"That was while I was putting you back in bed. So, unfortunately, no. He missed it. But he did get to witness you telling his wife how much you 'loved her floofy dress'. I thought Trina was going to die from trying not to laugh." He grinned at her obvious embarrassment. "So, you kind of bugged out when I said musky caramel after it rains. Is that something you've thought a lot about?"

"Don't you have some kind of work you could be doing?" She changed the subject.

"Nothing nearly as enticing as watching you squirm about what you think I smell like."

"I don't think you smell like musky whatever it is you said." She contradicted.

"I'm just repeating what you said."

"Why did this even become a conversation?" She frowned at him.

"Because I'm listing reasons you want to sleep with me." He justified.

"Here's one for the not wanting to sleep with you list. That smug little smirk." She said pointedly.

"You like my smirk, don't even lie." He challenged. She rolled her eyes at him. "And since you're shooting down my best stuff, I'm going to have to pull out the big guns. You want to sleep with me because I am…" Logan began as Callie knocked on the open door to his office.

"Oh, please finish that sentence. I've got to hear this." She laughed. Logan grimaced and decided to go an entirely different direction than originally planned.

"…capable of bringing a girl to climax without ever using my hands."

"What were you really going to say?" Veronica asked defiantly.

"That is not something that is to be discussed at work." He announced.

"Oh, but bringing a girl to climax is?" Callie asked in offense. Logan stood up and grabbed a case file off the couch. On his way back to his chair, he whispered in Veronica's ear.

"You win." Veronica smiled while crimson began to tint her cheeks.

"Oh, come on. You made a girl like Veronica blush. You HAVE to tell me what you said." Callie requested.

"Actually, no, I don't." He retorted.

"Veronica, what did he say?"

"The right thing." She replied evasively. "We've got some surveillance videos to go over, I believe. Let's get to work."

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

* * *

"_Her blood pressure's low." The doctor said matter of factly._

Veronica and Mac burst out laughing. Wallace and Dick sat in a stupor. Logan scoffed.

"That dude is seriously fucked in the head." Dick exclaimed.

"What the fuck is this?" Logan added, shaking his head.

"Shut up, I can't hear!" Wallace silenced them, while watching the screen intently. An hour and a half later, they still sat watching the movie. **(A/N: The movie they are watching is Lars and the Real Girl...I recommend it...if for no other reason than you will understand that their reactions are many of the reactions I had. Skip the next line if you don't want any spoilers.)**

"This is ludicrous. No way. A funeral for a sex toy? No good psychiatrist would encourage an entire town to go along such delusional behavior." Logan chastised.

"It's just a movie, Logan." Veronica patted his shoulder above her, without moving from her position resting her head on his chest, legs tangled with his.

"A ridiculous movie." He sniped.

"Dude, shut up!" Dick genuinely complained at the interruption and threw popcorn at him. It missed and hit Veronica in the face before falling down her shirt front. She squealed and wriggled up out of Logan's arms to stand up and flap her shirt to get it out. Everyone forgot the movie as they watched the tiny blonde in amusement. Only Mac and Wallace attempted to shield their laughter from her.

"Need a hand, Ronnie?" Dick offered his hand. "Oof." He winced as he was smacked simultaneously in the chest by his wife and on the back of his head by Logan.

"I'm good, thanks." She glowered at him before leaving the living room for the kitchen. She reached her hand up her shirt to remove the kernel that had lodged itself between her bra and her skin. The laughter in the other room was finally dying down when she decided to get herself a glass of crushed ice and a can of Skist. She heard only the movie as she moved back to the couch. Veronica snuggled back into Logan's arms and he began stroking her hair absent-mindedly. Dick's high pitched shriek and subsequent flailing caught everyone off guard. Mac, Wallace, and Logan stared at him like he was crazy as he tried to escape his clothing. Eventually some very melted pieces of ice slid out his board shorts and onto the floor. He looked up to a smirking Veronica.

"Not freaking cool, Mars!" He charged.

"Hmm. I'd have thought ice would be very cool." She frowned at him.

"You think?" He grabbed an ice cube out of his drink, leaned over, and held it against her neck forcefully.

"Get off me!" She yelled and kicked at his leg to move him away. Logan doubled over in pain and wrenched his girlfriend's arm away from his crotch that she'd just inadvertently elbowed. She looked up at him apologetically.

"Are you trying to kill me?" He breathed out at her. Dick laughed at his best friend's misfortune.

"That's some form of birth control you've got there, Ronnie." He teased. Logan threw a couch cushion at him. Dick caught it and threw it at Veronica as she was trying to stand up. The force knocked her back down into Logan, who blocked her from his lap protectively, causing her to topple to the floor. She clambered up and chased Dick around the room before he fled through the glass sliding door that led to the pool. She followed quickly after him. Logan carefully made his way out to the patio to watch the chase around the full length of the pool. He was shocked by the sudden cool liquid swallowing him and he swam back to the top to find Mac laughing hysterically at him. He watched happily as she didn't notice Dick coming at her and bringing her with him into the pool. Veronica stopped at a safe distance from the water and smiled at Logan.

"You decided to go swimming in your jeans?" She queried. He moved and put both hands on the deck. He pulled himself up and adjusted so that he was sitting with his back to her, feet still dangling in the pool. He pulled his black leather Ferragamo shoes off and set them beside him on the deck. He looked over his shoulder at her.

"Babe, could you get me a towel please?" He pointed at a large gray faux-wooden box over by the house. She complied. He pulled his socks off.

"Are those expensive shoes?" She asked curiously as she walked over to him. He shrugged. _Definitely expensive. Or at least, Mars expensive. Maybe not Echolls expensive._ She handed him the towel and he quickly wrapped an arm around her legs and pulled her into the pool with him. When she reached the surface she already had a scowl on her face.

"I can't believe you fell for that!" He laughed. "You're slipping, Mars." He pulled her roughly over to him and saw Mac and Dick having a water fight over her shoulder.

"You owe me a new cell phone, Jackass." She griped and tossed her water-logged contraption up next to his shoes.

"It was worth it." He grinned and looked down at her now mostly see-through light blue shirt. She attempted to escape his hold, but he used the pool to his advantage and moved them far enough down the slope that her feet couldn't touch the bottom. She instinctively wrapped her arms around his neck to stay above water.

"Are you trying to drown me?" She complained.

"Are you drowning?" He inquired.

"No. But.."

"Then, I'm obviously not trying to drown you." He clarified.

"Logan." She grumbled in frustration.

"Yes, Veronica?" He asked huskily, looking deep into her eyes. His hand moved her wet hair away from her face. She watched his movement with wide eyes.

"I'm mad at you." She mumbled unconvincingly. His face moved toward hers slowly until their lips were only a fraction of a centimeter apart, then he stopped.

"How can I make it up to you?" He whispered.

"Huh?" She asked, confused by the lack of contact.

"You're mad at me." He reminded her, still not pulling his face away from hers.

"What?" She tried to focus on what he was saying. He grinned in accomplishment.

"You seem distracted." He observed.

"You're a tease." She sighed and brushed her lips against his so softly they were barely touching. To her extreme displeasure he still didn't initiate a kiss.

"Do you really want to make out in a pool while our friends are all watching?"

"Are you saying you don't?" She intoned as she started drawing patterns in his wet hair with her fingers.

"There hasn't been even one second since that kiss at the Camelot that I ever stopped wanting to kiss you."

"That's not true." She rebuked him. "There have been plenty of times. When you broke up with me, for instance."

'I wanted to kiss you, even then. No, ESPECIALLY then. Unfortunately, kissing never seems to solve our problems."

"You don't want to kiss me now." She charged.

"Of course I want to kiss you now."

"If you really wanted to kiss me, we'd be kissing."

"The most beautiful woman I've ever known is in my arms, with her legs wrapped around me." Veronica noted for the first time that her legs were in fact folded around his waist. "I'm already overdosing on happy without kissing you. I'm just enjoying a moment."

"You're being stubborn is what you're doing." She declared against his lips. "You want me to kiss you first."

"I love you, Veronica." He admitted. Her eyes widened and her mouth became suddenly dry. Her fingers stopped moving through his hair and her hands moved to either side of his face. She looked him straight in the eyes.

"I love you, too." She said quietly, but resolutely. She wasn't sure he'd heard her, except for the fact that every muscle in his body tensed for a split second. Then he relaxed and continued to enjoy the embrace. "Serves you right."

"What serves me right?"

"That was the first time I said that." She explained.

"I'm aware of that."

"It serves you right that I did it after you tried to trick me into kissing you." She declared.

"Trick you? I didn't try to trick you."

"Right. Like you didn't think I'd kiss you instead of saying it back."

"I did think you kissing me was a possibility, but I didn't say I love you to trick you into anything. I just felt like saying what I was thinking. I was stating a fact."

"Really?" She inquired.

"Absolutely." He assured her.

"Oh."

"Of course, I never really took you for one who would say 'I love you' to avoid kissing me." He chided against her lips.

"I didn't." She defended, pulling back. "I was simply saying what I was thinking."

"Yeah, I'm aware of that too." He smiled.

**XOXOX**

"Damn!" Dick announced from his position inside the sliding glass door. He was drying Mac off with a large towel.

"What?" Wallace asked, walking over from the couch to follow Dick's eyeline. "They're having sex in the pool, except, they aren't actually having any sex." Dick pointed at Veronica and Logan who were still embroiled in their battle of the wills not to be the first to kiss the other.

"Oh God, my eyes! It burns!" Wallace moaned, covering his eyes dramatically. "Never, ever point that shit out, Dick! It's disgusting."

"They're NOT doing anything." Dick justified.

"I agree with Wallace." Mac wrinkled her face at her husband. "It's gross."

"No it's not!" Dick gestured toward the couple in the pool. "It's…romantic." He mockingly shoved his wife. "They're so into each other it's like the rest of the world doesn't exist. They didn't even notice us leave."

"Yeah. They're self-absorbed." Wallace complained.

"Dude, until you have even an inkling of what it's like to love someone so much you'd die for them, don't comment, Los Lonely Boy." Mac grabbed her husband's head and kissed him soundly. "See? It's a total turn on." He declared when she let go. She swatted him away.

"Whatever." Wallace sighed at being the fifth wheel for the third or fourth time that night. "So, they said I can crash here. Any idea which room I get to stay in?"

"There are a couple guest bedrooms next to the room we're staying in." Mac replied.

"I need to sleep if I'm going to leave here by five-thirty tomorrow morning." Wallace decided. "Where are they? I've never been upstairs."

"I'll show you." She said and they went up the stairs, leaving Dick to his own devices. "This is our room." She pointed at a bedroom that looked well-lived in. "We've been staying here a lot since Bettina's been in the hospital. We should probably start paying Logan rent or something." Wallace rolled his eyes. "That's Logan's room." She pointed across the hallway. He poked his head in to see what Logan's room looked like.

"Hey!" He exclaimed. "Veronica took that picture!" He indicated the large photo on Logan's wall.

"Yeah, he's convinced it's a metaphor for his life." Mac groaned. "The couple was having an affair, so Veronica turned something bad into something good. He thinks she's the beauty that made his beastly life worth living. Logan will go on for hours about it if you let him." She summarized the discussion she'd had with him while he was hanging the photo.

"Does V know that? Because I bet she thinks she's the beast in that relationship." Wallace questioned. "They really are perfect for each other, aren't they?"

"Honestly?" Mac asked. "They're happier together than apart. The rest of us definitely benefit from them being together. But I worry a little that they'll both get so intense again that they implode. Like the last time they dated. And the time before that…and…well you get the picture."

"Hmm." Wallace frowned.

"I'm worried if they break up again, neither of them will survive it. Not again."

"But she's different now." Wallace defended matter-of-factly. "You see it, don't you? She's not as fear-driven, not as revenge-centered. She's more open and more confident."

"He's different too." She acquiesced. "Maybe they'll finally get it right this time. If they'd just let themselves love each other…"

"Have a little faith, Mac. They got a taste of what it's like to not have each other. I think I'm finally getting to appreciate that we told Logan to let her go. When she fell apart, I thought we'd really fucked everything up. But now, they seem even more in love than ever."

"Yeah, they do." She conceded.

"And if they break up again? I'm moving back to Uganda and making it permanent." He teased.

"Think I could make Dick move to Uganda too?"

"Maybe if you told him the chicks walk around naked, people give away free beer, and the surf is like totally stellar, dude." Wallace mocked. "But it'd all be lies."

"Well, frak." Mac laughed.

**XOXOX**

"Okay, time to take this inside." Logan declared.

"You're giving in?" She challenged.

"Are we having some sort of contest?"

"Shut it. You know darn well you started this." She pouted.

"Started what?" He questioned, nudging her nose with his.

"The whole not kissing thing." She grimaced. "Because you're a tease." She added with a shiver.

"That's it. We're getting out of the pool." He stated as he walked them over to the steps.

"Because you want to kiss me so badly you can't stand it?"

"Because you're freezing. You keep shivering and your lips are turning blue." He clarified.

"I am a little cold." She accepted. "But to be fair, it's dark and it's October. When did it get so dark?"

"It's called night time, Sweet Pea. It happens a lot here. Like, daily, I think." He snarked. She unwrapped her legs from around him and walked up the steps with him. The second the cool breeze hit, her teeth began chattering. Logan grabbed her hand and pulled her quickly across the deck to the towels box. He opened it up and pulled out two towels that he set on top. Before she could understand what was happening, her blue linen shirt was being peeled off of her.

"What are you doing?" She protested, trying to shield herself from anyone seeing her.

"No one can see you. They're all upstairs and the lights are out down here." He continued his mission and unbuttoned her jeans.

"That doesn't mean I'd like to get naked out here." She pushed him away.

"Don't worry so much. I'm going to warm you up and I can't do that if you're in wet jeans." He unzipped them and somehow expertly got them off in a single movement. She was wrapped up like a burrito in the huge fluffy cream colored towel almost instantaneously. Logan pulled her hair gently out of the towel and squeezed as much water out of it as he could. Then he stripped down to his boxers and began toweling himself off. He raised his eyebrows at her when he noticed she was biting her lip, staring somewhere in the direction of his abdomen. He wrapped the towel around his waist and led her into the house. She moved toward the stairs, but he redirected her down the hallway next to the kitchen and into a dark room. Once he flipped the light on, she blinked in surprise.

"I thought this was your video game room?" She queried, gazing at the many shelves of books and big mushy couches.

"That too." He answered as he pushed a button on a remote and a fire blazed to life in the fireplace by one of the couches. Her eyes lit up and she bounced over to warm herself. He went over, picked her up, and moved backwards so that they fell onto the couch with her in his lap.

"I was going to get warm over there." She complained. He shook his head at her and tilted her face away from the fire. She looked up at him curiously for the second it took for him to kiss her with hunger. She attempted to return the kiss, but her hands became tangled in the towel and she whimpered in frustration. He chuckled at her predicament and helped to free her hands.

"Time out, time out." Logan groaned in frustration some time later. Veronica continued with her objective to drive him wild by alternating her mouth between his chest and his neck. "'Ronica, stop." He begged. She finally heard him and ceased with her task. She breathed heavily as she looked up to assess his motives for stopping.

"I don't have anything down here. We have to move to my room." He answered, trying to calm himself down.

"What?" She questioned.

"Condoms are upstairs." He sighed.

"What the fuck is going on here?" A female voice cried from the doorway. Veronica froze at the unfamiliar voice, then scrambled to cover herself up and hide from the very young, tall, leggy brunette standing in front of them in a cleavage-bearing top, barely-there skirt, and come-fuck-me boots.

"Fuck! What are you doing here?" Logan asked in shock as he sat up to see the female more clearly.

xxxxxxxxxx

**and that ladies and gents, is my very first cliffhanger ending. sorry...but maybe i'll get a couple more comments with your guesses about who that brunette is. hint hint...please comment. (:**


	24. A Day At The Beach

**A/N: Thanks for the reviews last chapter! They were great!! I got a lot of people telling me they liked the length and only a few saying they wanted shorter, so this is about the same as last time. I'm not sure how I feel about this chapter, actually. It really just felt like I was writing filler most of the time...but there was a lot to get in there and I wanted to get it out of the way. Can you believe how quickly I'm updating? Better, right?**

**A/N2: I can't believe out of all the reviews I got for the last chap, no one asked what Logan whispered to Veronica to get her to blush. (:**

**A/N3: Haven't done a disclaimer in a while...I own none of this. And this chap, like most of my chaps has some "strong" language, but, if you'd ever hung out with the FBI agents I have, you'd understand why I think these characters are WAY less vulgar than they could be. (:**

"Fuck! What are you doing here?" Logan asked in shock as he sat up to see the female more clearly. "Wait, I'm sorry, that's a stupid question." Veronica's eyes volleyed back and forth between Logan and the buxom brunette.

"Logan, I need to talk to you." The girl replied and almost instantly had tears pouring from her eyes.

"Go wait on the couch in the living room." He directed her gently. "I'll be right out." Veronica's jaw dropped.

"Okay," The girl sniffled and backed out of the room slowly as both of the other pairs of eyes followed every move. Once she was out of sight, Logan sank back onto the couch and took a few long, deep breaths attempting to clear his head. Veronica still stared after the girl, clutching the towel defensively to her chest, ensuring it wrapped fully around her. She was finally able to look at Logan and found he'd covered his face with his hand. He rubbed his temples and continued his deep breathing. It was enough to make her want to slap some sense into him. Instead, she began to obey her instincts. She ran. She ran down the hall, up the stairs, into his room, grabbed her overnight bag and slammed the door to his bathroom once she was inside. She began throwing on her clothes as quickly as possible. First jeans, then as she put a shirt on, he knocked on the door rapidly.

"Veronica, it's not what you're thinking!" He stated urgently. "I don't really even know what you are thinking, but I promise it's not like that!" She put on a hooded sweatshirt and zipped it up, then pulled her still-damp hair into a ponytail holder. As she was kneeling down to put on socks, he spoke again. "Please, please talk to me. Don't shut me out." The desperation in his voice unnerved her.

"It's not locked." She huffed. He crashed through the door and realized she'd already dressed.

"No!" He pleaded. "Don't leave. It's not like that. That's Heather!"

"I don't care what her name is, Logan."

"You know her. Her sister married Dick in Vegas, remember?"

"We weren't together. You could date whomever you wanted to date." She replied in a tone that made Logan's head spin. He couldn't understand how it could sound casual and without the bite of anger he would have expected. It sounded like something she'd say to an acquaintance she hadn't seen in a long time. He dropped to his knees in front of her.

"Veronica, don't do this, I'm begging you." He grabbed her hands and she looked at him curiously. "I never, ever…I me..we…weren't…aren't…"

"Maybe you should start over and use your big people words?" She giggled at him.

"Don't leave." Was all he could get out.

"I'm not leaving. Wallace drove me over. I don't have my car here."

"Then why'd you get all dressed?"

"Because I don't have any pajamas here and I wasn't wearing clothing?"

"But you ran. You're running away."

"One stranger seeing me naked is enough for one night, thank you."

"Veronica you're acting like you're not upset. That's worse than you yelling, you know that?"

"Uh, Logan? I'm not upset."

"Yeah, right. You bolted out of there and slammed the door when you got in here. You're pissed."

"I'm really not angry." She shrugged at him. He stared at her in disbelief.

"So, you're telling me that you and me, we, we're fine?" He questioned incredulously.

"No." She replied quickly. His eyes that had begun to hold hope, fell instantly. "I'm fine. I'm calm, rational, and collected. YOU are anything but fine. In fact, you seem a little bit tense and a whole lot jumpy."

"You believe me?" He asked doubtfully.

"Not that it would matter either way, but yeah. I don't think you did anything with that girl. Or at least I think that's what you were trying to say." She sighed. He didn't know how else to respond, so he pulled her over to him and kissed her soundly, clutching her face to his.

"Isn't your friend waiting downstairs for you?" She finally asked when he rested his forehead on hers.

"Right." He realized. "It'll just take a couple minutes to get rid of her." He stood up and pulled her to her feet. "I'll be right back. He walked into his room.

"Logan?" She said seriously when he reached his door.

"Hmm?"

"You think maybe you should put some clothes on?" She questioned. He looked down at the fact that he was only wearing a pair of boxers.

"Right. Yeah." He agreed. He went into his walk-in closet and came out in pajama pants and a tee shirt. "I'll be right back." She watched him leave and turned to look at her surroundings. She moved to his bed and picked up one of his pillows. She hugged it to herself tightly, inhaling the scent. It soothed her for a moment before it aggravated her. She desperately wanted to see how he was handling the situation. Why the girl was even here. But she knew she needed to trust him and to prove she wasn't like she used to be. That lack of trust was always his biggest complaint.

She tossed the pillow up in the air and landed her best left cross to the center of it, sending the satin-covered down into his head board. After thirty seconds of pacing, she decided to wash the chlorine out of her hair, thinking of the added bonus of him joining her in the shower when he returned. After the shower, she chose to wear a pair of his boxers and one of her own tee shirts. She finally sat on the edge of his bed cross-legged and began reading the novel she found on his bedside table.

**XOXOX**

"Heather!" Dick emphasized both syllables of her name as he trounced into the living room where she and Logan sat on a couch talking. He noted Logan was in his pajamas.

"Well, if it isn't my long-lost brother-in-law." Heather stated condescendingly.

"EX-Brother-in-law." He corrected. "Thank God."

"Be nice you two." Logan requested.

"Dude. I need to talk to you for a minute." Dick said, looking at Logan intensely.

"We're talking, Dick. I'll talk to you in the morning."

"Suit yourself. I'll go online and look at getting you a new Wii." Dick stated as he inched out of the room. "You have another copy of that Jackson Pollock print on the wall in there, right?"

"That's not a fucking print! What did you do?!" Logan jumped up and rushed past Dick and down the hall to the room he'd been in with Veronica earlier. Dick quickly followed him and when Logan found nothing amiss, he turned just in time to receive a slap to the back of the head. "What the hell?" he growled at his best friend. Dick shut the door to deter anyone from listening.

"Exactly. What the hell are you doing down here with that jailbait skank while Ronnie is upstairs?"

"Okay, she's not a jailbait skank. She's 18 AND she's like my little sister."

"With a sister like Trina, I get that you don't see a skank for what she is. But even if she was a freakin' nun, why would you ditch Veronica for her?"

"I didn't ditch Veronica. Heather needed to talk. I told Veronica I'd be right back. And I will be as soon as I get Heather calmed down."

"Why is she even here, man?"

"Her boyfriend broke up with her. She needed someone to talk to." Logan defended.

"Logan, I know you're usually the one who uses his brain and I'm the good looking one, but I'm pulling the husband card on you here. As a married man, I can tell you the Cardinal Rule. Never. I'm talking DO.NOT.EVER. leave your woman behind so you can be alone with a sexy teenage girl wearing a headband as a skirt." Dick chastised his friend.

"That's not how it is, Dick."

"That's exactly how it is. Ronnie's upstairs and you're down here with a high school student who could put Shelly Pomroy to shame with her come-fuck-me attitude."

"Heather's at UCLA, Dick. She's even in a sorority." Logan challenged.

"Which means she's got tons of people she could be talking to besides you. Those chicks live for boy troubles."

"And, Veronica is okay with this. She knows it's not like that."Logan justified. "I would never cheat on her."

"It doesn't matter that you wouldn't. Mac knows I'd never cheat on her too, but she still wouldn't be okay with me hanging with the Melinda clone out there."

"No offense man, but Veronica isn't like Mac."

"If Ronnie's so okay with this, why the fuck do you think I knew to come down here?" Dick contradicted. Logan's face showed his surprise.

"What do you mean?"

"Mac is jealous, yeah, but that's pretty much it. She had total shmucks for boyfriends before me. And, I wasn't exactly a saint before her, but that's it. She's just jealous." Dick explained.

"Where are you going with this, Dick?"

"Veronica gets jealous too." He started.

"No shit."

"But it's not just jealousy. She's paranoid. She assumes the worst before the jealousy ever even starts to set in." Dick stated.

"As a recipient of that paranoia, trust me, I know." Logan replied with a bitter taste in his mouth.

"No. Because if you knew, then you'd realize how stupid you're being. No one has NOT cheated on her." Dick complained.

"What? What are you babbling about?"

"Vandergraff was with that jail bird chick. That fucker at the FBI slept with some suspect. Everyone she's been with has cheated on her."

"Not everyone. I haven't and wouldn't. I love her, you know that."

"So did Duncan, but he cheated on her. Dude, her mom cheated on her dad. Casey hooked up with Darcy." Dick listed her past experiences.

"Wait, Casey cheated on her? I thought he was SO in love with her?! God, how could ANYONE cheat on her? Do you have any idea how badly I want to kick their asses?"

"Veronica is one of my best friends. Do you have any idea how much I want to kick your ass right now? I went to look for Mac and found her sitting with a very pissed off Veronica. You told her you'd be back with her in a couple minutes."

"I WILL be back in a couple minutes."

"A couple minutes passed like forty-five minutes ago, Dumbfuck!" Dick groused.

"Forty-five?" Logan turned to look at a clock. "Oh, shit. She's beyond pissed now, right?"

"I'm down here because they both finally decided to go to sleep. I missed out on sex tonight because of you. And considering you didn't get any for like a year before she took your ass back, I would think you wouldn't want to be giving up your opportunities either." Dick punched Logan in the shoulder and left the room.

"Heather?" Logan called as he walked back into the living room.

"Hey, LoLo." She sidled over to him and bumped her hip against his. "Is your Paddock okay?" She questioned. For the first time that evening, he noticed her barely-there skirt, and her large amount of cleavage.

"My what?" He queried, swallowing thickly.

"Oh. The Pollock? He didn't." Logan replied. "It's really late. If you want to stay, feel free, but I'm going to bed."

"I think I will stay because my friend dropped me off, so I don't have my car. Tell the towel girl sorry I hogged your time."

"The girl in the towel is my girlfriend, Veronica." He clarified.

"Girlfriend?!" She exclaimed in obvious surprise.

"And speaking of Veronica, I'll be getting back to her now. Mac and Dick are in their room, and Wallace Fennell is in another, so be careful which room you choose to sleep in." With that said, Logan bounded out of the room and up the stairs. When he reached his closed bedroom door, he paused and took a deep breath. Once inside his dark room, he checked for signs that she was awake, but heard only steady shallow breathing. The unmistakable sound of Veronica Mars sleeping. As quickly and quietly as he was able to, he moved about his room, pulled his shirt off, and set his alarm. He plugged his cell phone into the charger, and remembered her water-logged cell phone was still out on the pool deck. On the slight chance it would still function, he didn't think she'd be happy with its current location, so he headed back out of his room and down the stairs. He noticed the light by the pool was on and was confused. He opened the door and rapidly grabbed the cell. Upon turning around, he was met with Heather. In a sparkly turquoise bikini.

"Late night swim?" He quizzed, looking anywhere but at the girl in front of him.

"Yeah. I love that your pool is heated." She gushed. "Want to join me?" She touched his bare bicep with one hand.

"No. I just came down for this." He held the phone, still dripping with water, up for her to see.

"I don't think those are supposed to get wet."

"No, they aren't." Logan smirked. "Well, good night." He tipped a two-fingered salute at her and rushed back up to Veronica. Once securely back in his room, he knelt beside the bed next to her and began lightly tapping her nose with his index finger. He watched her eyes strain as she tried to ignore his obvious plea to wake up.

"Keep it up and you'll lose that finger." She growled sleepily.

"I need to talk to you." He said determinedly.

"I'm sleeping. Come back another time." She buried her face into the pillow.

"I resort to tickling next, so I suggest you wake up. I know exactly where you are the most ticklish." He warned. She instantly sat up unhappily.

"What do you want?"

"You smell nice." He said as he caught the fragrance of her hair.

"And that was worth waking me up?" She moaned.

"No. That's not why I woke you up."

"Okay." She said, waiting for him to continue. He didn't and she got frustrated. "I took a shower." She stated bitterly to point out how long she was left alone.

"I completely suck." Logan responded guiltily.

"Yep." She agreed.

"I lost track of time. And I didn't even think about what it might have looked like to you. It's been a while since I was a boyfriend. I might be a little rusty at it. And you know I would never cheat on you. I mean, I know, with your past I should be more sensitive to this. The last thing I should make you have to worry about is that."

"I'm going to kill Dick." She announced.

"What? Why?"

"He went down there and told you about Casey didn't he?" She charged. "It's not like I cared. So he cheated on me. So what?"

"Yeah, see, I don't get that. Why would you be okay with ANYONE cheating on you?"

"He only did it because he's a coward."

"What?"

"He hooked up with his ex so that I'd dump him and he wouldn't have to break up with me himself. He failed to realize that I'm a bitch." She said unsympathetically. Logan looked at her uncertainly. "I knew that's what he was doing. So, I told him it was okay because we'd never said we were exclusive, and that I'd stay with him. A couple days later, he finally found a pair and broke up with me because he knew I didn't want to be with him. Apparently I was pining after someone else. Now, can I go back to sleep?"

"What do you think about Heather?" Logan asked instead.

"She seemed…" Veronica paused, thinking of a word meaning 'slutty' without it pissing him off. She found none in her vocabulary and went for the standard. "…nice."

"Liar." Logan quipped. "What did you really want to say?"

"Young? Eager? Warm?" She offered.

"Warm?" He laughed in confusion.

"She wasn't wearing…Well, her clothes…were tiny?" Veronica stumbled over her words.

"I knew a girl in high school who wore short skirts." Logan reminisced. "Of course, she usually paired them with combat boots."

"So, she makes you feel like you're in high school again?" Veronica tested him. "Like that line from Dazed and Confused? You get older but they stay the same age?"

"I prefer to think of it as staying YOUNG. But then, I'm not as old as you, so maybe you could tell me. Will I start feeling old soon?" He snarked.

"Get away from me." She smacked his shoulder in affront. "I'm a couple months older than you, I can't believe you just called me old."

"Okay, seriously. Was she hitting on me? Because in my mind she's an eleven-year-old and we're playing Mario Kart on the couch at the Grand. But that outfit, that's not your upset-about-your-boyfriend-need-to-talk outfit, right?"

"PJs, ice cream, and Wallace" Veronica pointed at herself. "And we usually watch a Pay-Per-View fight if available."

"Boxing?" Logan wondered aloud.

"Hey, it's better than locking myself in my room until the hotel threatens to evict me for being unsanitary."

"Are you going to answer me?" He tried.

"What do you want me to say, Logan?" She sighed. "She's after you. I saw her for thirty seconds and I know that. Dating you comes with the less than desirable side-effect of getting to watch girls throw themselves at you. Always has, apparently always will."

"You don't really think that, do you?"

"Logan, if I fought every girl who flirted with you in front of me, I'd never have time for anything else."

"Oh, come on. It's not that bad."

"Not at the office. Most of the other women are married or intimidated by your celebrity. But high school was bad. And Hearst was a nightmare."

"Dating me was a nightmare?" he questioned.

"Aspects of dating you were nightmarish." She clarified. "Feeling confident while some twelve foot tall double d invited you to her place for whatever lame reason was not one of my talents."

"What else?"

"What?"

"You said aspects. What other aspects were so bad?"

"Logan, I'm tired." She whined. He smiled at her.

"You have to do me a favor in the morning."

"What?" She asked with a yawn.

"At least pretend to be a jealous girlfriend and get her to leave me alone."

"Logan, are you afraid of the little girl?" Veronica teased.

"She just came at me in a bikini and ran her hand down my arm." He explained. "It's not right."

"Bikini?" Veronica frowned and narrowed her eyes at him.

"I went out to get your cell phone and there she was by the pool. In a bikini." He raised his eyebrows at her. She heaved another deep sigh.

"I'm not doing anything tomorrow if you don't let me freaking sleep." She complained. He leaned forward and kissed her.

"You sure you don't want to continue what we started earlier?" He asked as he pulled away.

"Mmmm. You wish." She tapped his nose with her finger and turned so she wasn't facing him anymore. "Maybe an hour ago." He climbed over her and slipped under the covers, making sure not to lay too close to her since she was still annoyed with him. As he closed his eyes, Veronica moved so she could snuggle into his chest. "Good night."

"Night." He smiled and kissed the top of her head.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

"Morning!" Veronica called cheerfully across the kitchen to Wallace.

"Damn!" He exclaimed as he almost knocked over the can of Dr. Pepper in front of him. You scared me! What are you doing up?"

"I always get up this early." She stated. "Wow, that's what I call a breakfast of champions!" She pointed at the can of soda.

"I needed caffeine and this was all I could find in the fridge." He grimaced.

"I'll make some coffee." Dick announced, walking into the kitchen and surprising them both.

"You do realize it's five-fifteen AM, right?" Wallace questioned.

"Yeah, I'm gonna hit up the beach while Mackie sleeps." He answered.

"Oh! Can I tag along?" Veronica asked.

"I'll be surfing, so don't expect for me to entertain you."

"I won't. I'm going to run." She replied simply.

"Where's your boy?" Wallace asked.

"He had a busy night. Let him sleep." She announced.

"That is not even cool, Veronica!" Wallace griped with a look of disgust.

"It wasn't with me!" She defended.

"Excuse me?"

"My ex-sister-in-law showed up last night and Logan is an idiot." Dick complained.

"That fool cheated on you?! I'm gonna kick his ass!" Wallace growled in anger.

"No." Veronica shook her head. "She's like the girl he babysat or something. They just talked."

"For an hour." Dick egged Wallace on. "And you might be 'nice' enough to let him sleep, but I'm sure as hell not. The coffee is brewing and Logan usually keeps his pop tarts stashed in that cupboard." Dick pointed at what looked like a broom closet. He left the kitchen and walked into Logan's room without knocking. "Dude, grab a suit and your board. We're hitting the waves."

"SHH!" Logan warned as he woke up and searched the bed for Veronica.

"She's downstairs already, Lamer. Hop to it." Dick moved across the hall to his wife. "Mackie. Babe, wake up." He murmured into her ear.

"What time is it?" She asked thickly.

"Five something. We're gonna go surfing. Wanna come?"

"FIVE?" She moaned.

"I figured you'd want to sleep, but I didn't want to assume anything. Veronica's coming too, and Wallace is leaving." Dick had no idea what came out of her mouth next, but was fairly sure it wasn't ladylike as it was groaned into the pillow she pulled over her head to block out her husband's voice. "I love you, too." He chuckled as he left the room.

**XOXOX**

Once Logan was ready to head to the beach, he walked into his kitchen to find Wallace and Veronica huddled over the counter talking quietly. Both were sipping from warm cups in their hand and each had a pop tart in their hand. They became silent as they watched him walk to the coffee pot to pour himself a mug.

"Don't stop on my account." He announced to them.

"What?" Wallace asked.

"Talking. It seemed like whatever you were discussing was important. But you both clammed up the second I walked in. Be careful, you might give me a complex."

"Don't worry, we weren't talking about you." Wallace reassured.

"Yeah, right. What else could possibly exist in either of your lives that is as awesome as me?" Logan asked, puffing up his chest, then left the kitchen to two pairs of rolling eyes.

"Did he really just leave without finding out what we were talking about?" Wallace asked in amazement.

"I think so. But he gave me a funny look." She sighed.

"You mean that doe-eyed-in-love-with-you look? That's his permanent expression when you're in the room. Or mentioned in conversation." Wallace informed.

"No. His 'we need to talk' look." She answered with a frown. "So, do you think Casey is really upset?"

"Like I said, he was asking about you and I didn't know what I was allowed to say, so I told him I knew you were busy with work and then he said, and I quote, 'She's back with Logan, isn't she?'"

"What did you tell him?"

"That you hadn't told me anything about getting back with Logan. Which you haven't." He said pointedly. "And that I just saw you this past weekend. I didn't mention that he was with you."

"I don't know what to tell him. I'm not sure what we are…" She admitted as Logan and Dick came into the kitchen carrying surf boards. "…telling people." She finished.

"Well, I need to head back." Wallace declared, standing up and placing his empty mug in the sink. "Call me later." He commanded gently and gave her a quick hug.

"I will." She hugged him back.

"DC." Wallace threw a backwards peace sign at Dick.

"B-Ball." Dick returned the gesture.

"Tell Mac I said 'bye'." He said to Veronica.

"I'll remember!" Dick whined at Wallace's obvious slight.

"Sure you will." Wallace nodded his head from side to side. "Logan, thanks for letting me crash. That bed was way better than her lumpy-assed couch."

"Don't insult my couch, Fennell!" Veronica challenged putting her fists up in warning.

"Anytime, man." Logan ignored her.

Wallace went out the front door and jumped into his blue Dodge Charger. As he drove out of the front gate, shook his head after seeing what he thought was a camera flash. He noticed Veronica had left the passenger sun visor down. He chalked the sudden flash of light up to the mirror, before speeding off down the street.

**XOXOX**

"I have to change. I'll be right back." Veronica stated to Dick and Logan. She turned on her heel and ran up to her bag in his bathroom. She pulled out an outfit and quickly switched from Logan's clothes to running shorts.

"Need a hand?" Logan offered as he watched her struggling to put on a sports bra. She jumped at the sudden interruption of the silence, and turned so that her back was completely to him.

"I've got it." She asserted.

"You sure?" He teased. "That's definitely a job I'd be happy to help with."

"It just takes a second to work around my shoulder." She said as she finally slid it into place. "Out with it already."

"Out with what?"

"Whatever it is you want to talk about." She looked at him pointedly before pulling her zippered sweatshirt on.

"You weren't there when I woke up." He decided not to beat around the bush. "Why not?"

"I was awake and you looked peaceful, so I let you sleep." She carefully studied his facial reaction to her statement.

"No alarms went off. Why were you awake?" he challenged. "And don't even think of saying you always get up this early." Her jaw dropped in annoyance that he would rule out her standby response before she could even utter it.

"Couldn't sleep." She finally answered succinctly. His eyes narrowed at her.

"What was it about?" He quizzed. She looked up at him like a trapped animal. "Your nightmare, Veronica. What was it about?"

"Same old, same old." She replied and sat down to put on socks and running shoes. "Bad guys doing their bad guy badness."

"Are you okay?" He asked sincerely.

"I'm fine." She sounded honest, but tired.

"At some point, I'd like to actually talk them through. Maybe we can get them to stop." He mused.

"But if they stop, what will I do when I'm supposed to be sleeping?" She smirked at him.

"I can think of quite a few things." He said smugly. "Sleep, for one."

"Sleep. I'm sure that was number one on your list." She held her right hand up at him and he helped her up, noticing she avoided using her left arm for anything.

"Is your shoulder hurting a lot?" He asked.

"Yep." She sighed and walked out of his room. He made a mental note and followed.

**XOXOX**

Dick paddled over and pulled himself up onto his board next to Logan, who was scanning the beach, his eyes straining. "What'cha looking for?" Dick asked, already knowing the answer.

"Veronica. She was sitting over there when we swam out, but now she's gone."

"She told me she was coming to run." Dick supplied.

"Oh." Logan started looking further up and down the beach. "Her sweatshirt was gray, right?"

"Yeah. It's right over there. Next to our shoes." He pointed.

"So, she's running on the beach in those tiny little shorts and no shirt?" Logan asked, swallowing thickly. "Damn."

"I hope you get a nice case of blue balls this morning, so you learn to not ditch your woman." Dick snickered.

"Shut up and surf." Logan complained before rolling off his board to paddle over to the wave break. Forty minutes of surfing went by before Logan finally spotted Veronica jogging back toward their spot from half way up the beach.

"Tide's gone, I'm out." Dick announced from next to him.

"Me too." Logan answered, never taking his eyes off of his girlfriend, who he noticed for the first time was a lot more muscular than she used to be.

"Dude." Dick shoved Logan off his board into the water. Logan came up spitting out salt water. "You should be more attentive when you're in the ocean, Dude." Dick laughed. "You never know when a wave will just take you out."

"Thanks for the advice, DICK." He emphasized his friend's name.

"Anytime, Bro."

They both hit the beach around the same time, and pulled the Velcro straps from their ankles. As they made their way up the sand to their shoes, Logan saw that Veronica was still about five hundred feet down the beach from them.

"Uh, Logan?"

"What, man?" Logan looked over to see why Dick sounded unsure.

"Who invited the photogs?" He pointed at the approximately ten guys taking pictures and rushing toward them.

"Shit!" Logan looked over to Veronica, got her attention, and pointed toward the mass as discreetly as possible. She motioned back that she'd meet him at his Range Rover and changed her course to move toward the parking lot. The paparazzi began assaulting Logan with a rapid fire of questions and accusations. He and Dick pushed their way past the crowd and moved up the sand to the car. Dick gave them a bunch of overly cheesy grins.

"Dude, seriously?" Dick pointed at one of the older, larger men flashing a camera at them. "You're like my hero." Logan sighed, awaiting Dick's inevitable insult. "Did you like, become a paparazzo because you can't get laid or what?" Logan tried to mask the laughter he felt bubbling up inside him at Dick's obvious enjoyment of his own joke. Logan noticed his Range Rover had moved and was now parked with the back popped open, waiting for the surf boards. The finally reached the vehicle and he didn't see Veronica anywhere.

"Where is she?" He asked Dick quietly, still ignoring the men flinging questions at him. A tiny white hand moved up from the back seat and wiggled the tiny fingers at him. "Get in, Dick." He commanded, as he slammed the back with the boards safely inside. They jumped in without removing their wetsuits and Logan drove off, paying only enough attention to avoid running the swarm over.

"That was fun." Veronica groaned, laying across the back seat.

"What's with that, anyway?" Dick questioned. "I thought it'd been a long time since you dealt with those scumbags."

"It has." Logan grimaced. "The car accident story worked a little too well, I think."

"Are any of them following?" Veronica asked.

"Two. I'm about to lose them, can you get a seat belt on?"

"Yeah, did you bring my sweatshirt?" It hit her as it flew back from Dick's hands. She hurriedly put it on and kept her hood up as she buckled up and sat up in the seat behind Logan. "It's a good thing you still hide your keys in the wheel well, even if that is the first place criminals look by the beach." She mused.

**XOXOX**

Dick walked in to find his wife engrossed in her laptop. She glanced up, gave him a quick smile and refocused on the screen in front of her. "Check the net for pictures of your sexy hubby! We got totally swarmed by the 'Razzi at the beach just now!"

"There were paparazzi at the beach?" She asked him seriously, looking up earnestly.

"Yeah." He answered with enough attitude that she would understand she was obviously missing the point of the story. "Look for me!"

"Frak." Mac complained and jumped up from the bed. She rushed out of the room and over to Logan's closed bedroom door, knocking on it furiously.

"Go away!" Logan yelled in the quick moment he'd pulled his lips away from Veronica's collar bone. Veronica then pulled his face to hers for another passionate kiss. The next five knocks were even louder and more forceful.

"Logan, it's important!" Mac called through the door.

"I'm busy!" He growled back at her, ignoring her plea and pulling Veronica's sweatshirt zipper completely undone to remove the garment from her body.

"Mackie, they're getting busy in there." Dick explained, poking his head out at his wife.

"I don't care, Dick." She sighed and pounded on his door again. "Logan, I need to talk to you right now!"

He buried his face into Veronica's neck. "Are you freaking kidding me?" He whined. "Somebody up there really doesn't want me to get any." He looked at the ceiling.

"She sounds upset. You should see what she needs." Veronica sighed heavily. He looked at her in annoyance. "Don't get mad at me for this." She chided.

"I'm not mad at you. I'm just incredibly frustrated right now. Don't move. I'll be right back." He searched his room for his discarded shirt and pulled it over his head, then opened the door only enough to see her. "What?"

"There are pictures of you on the internet." Mac announced seriously.

"No shit." He exclaimed in exasperation. "Tell me why I care."

"Because they say they are of you in an embrace by your pool last night."

"What?!" He asked angrily.

"And, it's not Veronica in the pictures." Mac declared. "It's Heather. So, I thought it must have been a long time ago or something, but if they're following you today, I'm thinking that it was last night."

"We didn't 'embrace' by the pool. We've never 'embraced' anywhere. Show me." Logan demands.

"Me too." Veronica charged, now fully re-clothed. They moved in to look at Mac's computer. She pulled up a website called CelebriSpy. The front page had a grid of photos with various celebrities. The grid showed mainly headshots, and underneath each picture was the name of the celebrity and the latest sighting. The top left picture was of Logan. Mac clicked on his face and was transported to a page with tons of photos of Logan. Most were from events with his parents, but the top photos were all candids from the last week. Mac clicked on the photo titled Logan's Moonlight Tryst. About twelve photos of Logan on the deck by his pool showed up. Eight showed his conversation with Heather. One definitely had the appearance of being intimate because of the angle and her hand on his arm. The fact that he was shirtless and they'd cropped the photo to cut out his pajama pants and that her hair hid the straps of her bikini didn't help.

"What the fuck?! I SWEAR it wasn't like that, Veronica." He defended.

"Obviously." She pointed at the pictures. "If they had anything real, there would be a lot more of that and none of you getting the phone." She examined the photo again and ran out of the room.

"What's she doing?" Logan wondered out loud.

"She's Veronica. You think any of us have any idea what goes on in that girl's head?" Dick joked. Mac followed her into Logan's room and found her throwing on a pair of jeans and stuffing her gun into the back of them before turning to Mac. She stuffed her hair up into her hood.

"Mac Attack. I need you to distract the boys for a few minutes." She smiled innocently. "And I need your cell phone." Mac handed it over immediately and went back to where the guys were examining the pictures that had just been added to the site. There were photos of Wallace leaving the house, and of Heather exiting a car and entering the gate.

"Where's Veronica?" Logan asked when he had processed that Veronica hadn't come back with Mac.

"Is anything up from your beach adventure, yet?" Mac redirected, looking guilty.

"Shit, what is she doing?" He exclaimed and rushed past Mac. "Veronica?" He called out loudly. He received no answer and looked in his empty room. "Mac, did she go out there?" He yelled from the hallway.

"She didn't say." Mac answered honestly. "But she did have her gun." She whispered to Dick, hoping Logan wouldn't hear from the other room. Dick's eyes grew larger.

"She WHAT?!" Logan roared. "Fuck!" He ran down the hall, down the stairs, and out the back door to his pool area. He spotted her sneaking along the far back wall and he ran straight over to her. "What the hell do you think you're doing?" He asked in a hushed tone when he reached her. She motioned for him to be quiet and listen. She pulled out her camera and looked back at the house through her lens, then moved about a foot to her right with Logan right beside her. He then heard a man's voice on the other side of the wall. The man mentioned he saw no movement from the Echolls home. Logan clenched his fists. Veronica looked around and noticed she had no way of reaching the top of the wall. She handed Logan her camera.

"Take a picture of him." She whispered to Logan and then she indicated he should hold the camera up to the top and point down at the man. He complied and they looked at the digital image he captured. The man scrambled up his ladder to look down at them. Veronica held Mac's cell phone to her ear ensuring to keep her hood up so he couldn't see her.

"Hi, this is Trina Echolls again. I just saw the man who is trespassing in my back yard. Can you send the police right away?" Veronica said imitating Trina's voice as well as she could. "Yes, I have a picture of him. He's wearing a black jacket and blue jeans. He short, balding, kinda fat. He has a small black thing in his hand, I'm afraid it might be a gun! Yes, he's by the back wall, behind the pool. I'm all alone, please hurry!" Veronica pressed a button on the phone and walked away.

"That was a bitchy thing to do, Trina!" The paparazzo yelled at her retreating form.

"If I were you, I'd get the fuck out of here before you get arrested, asshole!" Logan snarled at the man.

"I'm just trying to feed my family, jerk!" The man complained. "Pictures of you and your girlfriend pay top dollar right now."

"Who said I have a girlfriend?" Logan retorted as he heard a siren on the other side of the wall. He ran back to the house to confront Veronica. "What the hell was that?!" He asked loudly as he found her with a glass of water.

"A form of pest control?" She replied in her most innocent voice, trying to keep him on her side of the coming argument.

"Yeah, if you call kicking a beehive pest control, I guess you're right." He said sarcastically. "You realize a police report of an intruder will only incite MORE media, don't you?" He snapped at her.

"Logan! They have people camped out in your backyard! I heard some of them at the beach saying there's some kind of huge reward for the first person to bring in the Echolls pics and that this kind of publicity is only drummed up because the celebrities want people to pay attention to them. Calling the cops proves you don't want them around."

"What happens when they realize Trina is in Arizona, Veronica? They'll dig deeper to find out who you are!"

"Trina isn't in Arizona anymore." Trina announced from the doorway. "And apparently the security company is apprehending an intruder." She waved her cell phone at them. "What's going on?"

"There was a photographer in your backyard all last night and this morning. So, I scoped it out and called your security company pretending to be you." Veronica said timidly.

"How'd you even know who to call?" Logan asked angrily.

"There are signs all over your property that say Sparks Security." She admitted.

"You need a passcode to call in." Trina quirked an eyebrow at Veronica.

"I told them I had it written down upstairs and couldn't remember which one it was. They gave me the hint question, 'what is the name of your childhood pet?'"

"We didn't have a pet." Trina challenged. "How could you figure out a question that has no answer?"

"Two things came to mind, and I figured you two get along well enough now that you wouldn't have said Logan, so I chose Muffin." Veronica surmised.

"How do you know about Muffin?!" Trina squealed.

"Your passcode is Muffin?" Logan asked incredulously.

"Shut up, like yours is so much better." She frowned.

"Veronica, how do you know her stuffed animal's name?" Logan questioned.

"You used to steal him from her. Muffin the Moose." Veronica recalled.

"How do you possibly remember that?" He questioned.

"I really liked him. He was a cute moose. And when you and Lilly and Duncan would move on to your other distractions, I would always take him back to the chair on Trina's shelf." She looked at the ground guiltily. Trina and Logan both stared at her in awe.

"You used to steal Muffin?" Trina punched Logan in his arm as Veronica began to slink out of the kitchen.

"Ow!" He backed away from his sister. "I was twelve, give me a break!"

"Veronica, wait!" Trina called as the blonde made it to the doorway. "Logan is going to apologize to you for being a jerk."

"What?" He did a double take.

"She's amazing. That was a brilliant plan and it was all because she wanted to protect us. Get a clue, little brother. You should be thanking her not yelling at her. At any rate, thank you, Veronica. I think what you did was inspired." Trina left the room with a dramatic flourish.

"I should get ready for work. It's eight and I'm supposed to be in by nine thirty." Veronica said steadily.

"Do you have any idea how scared I was when Mac said you had your gun?" Logan asked in response, never even facing her. She looked up at him quizzically.

"I'm in the FBI, Logan. Carrying is a reflex. I wasn't going to go into an unknown situation unarmed." She justified.

"That's probably going to take some getting used to." He admitted.

"Well, my dad went to the range with me before he could handle seeing me with a gun." She offered. "He said he had to make sure I wasn't going to shoot my foot off."

"What convinced him?" Logan requested.

"I'm a damn good shot." She said proudly. "He decided it was a genetic predisposition. But then, I asked him why my paper only had holes in the head and chest and his were kind of scattered. And then he said something about an intelligent donkey."

"I'm guessing the term he used was 'smart ass,' you smart ass."

"Smarter than your ass, anyway." She smirked.

"Hey." He moved closer to her. She looked up at him in response. "Sorry, I yelled at you."

"You should think about building yourself a dog house if you're going to continue these shenanigans." She teased.

"Duly noted." He gave her a half smile.

"You owe me a date if I'm even going to consider forgiving you." She decided. "I'm thinking Italian food. And you have to get all gussied up because I have a great dress I haven't worn yet."

"Would tonight be too soon to get myself out of the neighbor's doghouse and back into your good graces?"

"Hmm. I think I can squeeze you in tonight between Michael and Jack."

"Michael and Jack?" He challenged.

"Scofield and Bauer?" She answered. He stared back at her blankly. "Prison Break and 24?" She smiled.

"Well, I wouldn't want to take you away from your man candy." He rolled his eyes and put his hands on her shoulders to turn her toward the door. "We can reschedule."

"No, no. Tonight will work. I've got Tivo." She grinned.

**XOXOX**

They came into the kitchen after taking showers and dressing for work to find Heather eating a bowl of Lucky Charms across the table from a cranky looking Mac, who was taking small bites of a piece of toast. "Good morning, LoLo!" Heather said cheerily. Mac rolled her eyes dramatically. Logan nodded at Heather with a half smile and looked to Veronica pleadingly. "Uh, good morning, Victoria, is it?" She continued.

"Veronica, actually." Veronica answered at the same time as both Logan and Mac corrected Heather. "I'm sorry, I didn't catch your name last night." She played along with the brunette's game.

"Heather."

"Hi, Heather. So, how do you know Logan?" Veronica feigned innocence. Mac and Logan exchanged curious glances at this question.

"I met him when my sister married Dick Casablancas." She answered.

"Oh! You're the little girl Logan babysat?!" Veronica bubbled. "Oh, that's so cute, Baby!" She turned to Logan and fiddled with his tie. "You are so sweet to stay in touch with her." She gave him a devilish grin before turning back to see Mac hiding a snicker behind her hand.

"Yeah. We get together all the time. I didn't know he had a girlfriend, though." Heather challenged.

"Oh, right. That's my fault, I'm afraid." Veronica frowned. "I can't be in the spotlight because of my job, so we decided only close friends and family could know. It's frustrating that we can't go around telling people how in love we are, but it'd be too dangerous for both of us if it got out, right Monkey?" She looked up at him with big doe eyes and watched as he tried to conceal his amusement at her character choice.

"Right." He leaned down to give her a quick kiss on the lips. She kissed him back, then wrapped her hands behind his head and deepened the kiss. He very rapidly caught on and pulled her closer to him. Heather's jaw dropped and she looked to Mac for consolation, but found Mac non-plussed. Dick bounded into the kitchen, regarded the couple and walked past them unfazed.

"Hey, Sweets." He kissed Mac's temple. "How you feeling?"

"Nauseous." She grimaced.

"I know, right? How gross are those two?" Heather whined.

"I have morning sickness." Mac replied drily.

"Wait, like, you're pregnant?"

"Like, yes." Mac snapped, then rushed out of the kitchen with her hand over her mouth.

"That'd be my cue to follow." Dick announced and ran after her. Heather looked over at Logan and Veronica, who were still making out and she loudly dumped her empty bowl in the sink before stomping out of the kitchen.

"Let's get moving." Veronica spoke against Logan's lips as soon as Heather was gone.

"What?" He asked, trying to continue kissing. She dropped down and wiggled out of his grasp.

"You have to drive me to my place so I can get my car before work." She pointed her thumbs toward the back door. Logan groaned in discontent. "On the hop, Monkey."

"Yeah, what do you say you don't call me that anymore? It was bad enough the first time."

"Oh, okay, you'd prefer I went with the first thing that popped into my head? Love Bunny it is."

"I'm a man, Veronica. You are not going to call me Love Bunny."

"Whatever you say, Love Bunny. Let's jet." She teased.

**and that wasn't so much of a cliffhanger for the people who were not pleased with the last chap. please review anyway!!**


	25. Hunger and Frustration

**A/N: For the first time in months I read a book this weekend. So I apologize for taking longer than anticipated to get the next chap up, but I REALLY missed being able to read.**

**A/N2: Every last one of you should go to your bookstore and get The Secret Society Girl series by Diana Peterfreund. I mean, like SERIOUSLY. The author is a HUGE Veronica Mars fan. And The books are like CRACK they're so addicting.**

**A/N3: would any of you be interested in seeing pics of Ryan Hansen (y'know, Dick Casablancas?) in a play he did down here in San Diego? Let me know. He looks damn good...I'm just saying.**

**A/N4: I can't believe I feel bad that this chap is just under 7000 words, but it is and if I hadn't cut where I did, it would have had to go on to like 9000, which I refuse to do. I already have tendonitis in my wrists as it is and that's just a crazy amount of typing. Kudos to the first person to tell my why a certain new name in this section isn't of my own creation. So, enjoy...and good or bad, please Review!!**

"Hey, Dick." Trina called as she came into the kitchen.

"How are you this fine morning, Trin-tinicity?" Dick queried as he stacked himself a sandwich, alternating between turkey and cheese slices.

"Good to see you're still mooching off me and my brother." She groused.

"If Mac and I hadn't gone shopping yesterday, your kitchen would still only have Pop Tarts, salsa, and rice cakes. Now your cupboards are practically full. Quit your bitchin'."

"We have food?" She realized in excitement. She rushed over to the refrigerator and pulled out a bag of pre-made salad and a bottle of Italian salad dressing. "Bless you both." She proceeded to fix herself a salad and sit down at the table. Just as she had loaded a fork the doorbell rang. She frowned. "Who can get to the door but doesn't have a key?" She asked rhetorically.

"Maybe Veronica." Dick answered absent-mindedly.

"She already has a key. Logan probably gave her access to all of his bank accounts within five minutes of seeing her again."

"He wouldn't have to. She probably already had them." Dick replied. "She's crafty like that." Trina left the room to answer the door. She looked up at the tall African American man in his designer suit. He seemed stiff and cold.

"Yes?" Trina asked briskly.

"I'm Christopher Duncan and I'm looking for Cindy Casablancas." He answered.

"They don't even live here and they get guests?" She complained. "Hold on." She pointed toward the entry room for him to wait. She went back to the kitchen. "Where's your wife?"

"Puking." Dick answered. Trina looked alarmed. "She's pregnant." He explained.

"Oh." Trina accepted. "Well, she has a visitor."

"She has a what? Wait, who is it?" He questioned.

"I don't remember." Trina replied honestly, putting a mouthful of her salad into her mouth. Dick grimaced at her and left the kitchen and his sandwich. He moved to the entry room where his grimace became a full blown scowl.

"What do you want?" He directed at the man standing by the door examining a photo on the wall.

"Your wife and I need to have a discussion."

"No, what you need to do is take what you've already gotten from her and find yourself a new gopher. She's out."

"She set this meeting up, Mr. Casablancas. Maybe you should talk to your wife before making decisions for her."

"First of all, don't insult me or my marriage. Second, you're sending her out into dangerous situations and she's got more than herself to worry about now that she's pregnant. If anything happens to her, I will not hesitate to hold you responsible."

"I'm not leaving until I've talked to her, so you might as well go get her." He condescended.

Dick turned and left without a word. He went upstairs and into their room where Mac was laying on the bed in the dark. He lay down next to her gently. "Hey, Babe." He said softly and he brushed some hair from her face with his fingers. She opened her eyes to look at him. "You're pretty miserable, aren't you?"

"You think I look awful, don't you? I get it. I'm already getting fatter and I'm sick as a dog and you hate me, don't you?" She asked rapidly, trying to move away from him on the bed.

"What?" Dick asked in complete confusion.

"I get it. You think I'm disgusting." She sniffled.

"You're crazy." He frowned. "I think you're the sexiest woman I've ever met."

"Great. You think I'm crazy too." She pouted.

"Remember when I said it's hot that you don't know how sexy you are? I take it back. Shy Mackie is sexy as hell, but this weird paranoid Mackie? Not so much." He looked at her still wondering what had gotten into his wife.

"I'm going to be huge. You're not going to want me anymore and then you're going to find some tall, big-boobed blonde chick to leave me for." She answered irrationally. Dick pulled back from her stunned.

"Cindy Marie MacKenzie Casablancas there is no possible way that I'll EVER stop wanting you." He answered seriously. "And we've had this discussion before, if I'm not mistaken. Where is this coming from?"

"I've been puking my guts up for weeks and I GAINED six pounds! How is that even possible?"

"I don't know?" He answered, definitely unsure of how to soothe his wife's fragile nerves. "Are you sure? I don't see it. I mean, you look amazing to me."

"You're just saying that because you have to."

"Mackie, do you really need me to demonstrate what you are capable of doing to me?"

"Did you eat your sandwich already?" She asked in a completely different tone.

"No. I was about to when the doorbell rang." He eyed her curiously at her sudden shift.

"Who was it?"

"Oh. It's for you. HE's downstairs." The disgust was apparent in his voice.

"What? Why didn't you tell me?" she swatted his shoulder and rushed out of the room. He looked up at the ceiling in total confusion before shaking his head and trailing after her. He hovered silently in the doorway to observe the exchange.

"Sorry I took so long, Mr. Duncan. I haven't been feeling well." She apologized to the man.

"Yes, your husband mentioned your pregnancy."

"Did he now?" She asked tersely.

"He also mentioned that you would like to halt your participation in our partnership. Is that correct?"

"Look. When it was just looking at browser histories after hours while you were there, that was one thing. But going in alone and copying entire hard drives and using software that I know is obtained illegally from a government agency…That stuff wasn't part of our original deal. And you forced me into this with the threats to Keith. But that Jeremy kid knows something is up. I don't feel safe anymore."

"Did you find any evidence?"

"He's definitely the one researching Duncan Kane's whereabouts. All of the searches occurred when you noted Keith was out of the office. And I have video footage of him opening Keith's safe, his office, and his private files. The cameras in Keith's office won't give a sharp enough image to read the files he looked at, but they were pulled from the cabinet you indicated held the Kane's files."

"Good work, Mrs. Casablancas. I assume you have all of the evidence for me?"

"Of course." She pulled a flash drive out of her pocket and handed it to him.

"So that's it, right?" Dick questioned. "She's out?"

"If you want out, Mrs. Casablancas, you just say the word." He stated, never turning to look in Dick's direction.

"Don't we have enough? I've proven it isn't Keith. So, you're done with him, right? You can turn your focus onto Jeremy?"

"I know Keith isn't doing the research. I still don't have proof he didn't order the investigation."

"How can you get that proof?" Mac asked.

"Taps on his phones. A bug in his plant, and a feed so that it will record on the same drives we're already using."

"You don't think Keith Mars has a scrambler?" She asked, skeptical of that very fact.

"I have something to work around scramblers."

"So that's only two more trips? One to set it up and one to retrieve the data, both of which can be done after hours." She clarified.

"Yes." He nodded.

"Fine. Two more and that's it." She restated. "I assume you will set it up and let me know?"

"Naturally." He slipped the drive into his breast pocket. "Good day Mrs. Casablancas, Mr. Casablancas." He nodded in Dick's direction and exited the house. Mac turned to look at her husband and found an angry frown and crossed arms.

"Dick." She tried.

"Whatever." He grumbled and turned on his heel and headed for the kitchen, leaving her standing in the entryway. Outside the mansion, the man's cell phone rang.

"Yes?"

"Mr. Weidman? I think we'd better meet to discuss the latest developments."

"Tuesday. Same time, Same place." Clarence responded.

"See you then."

Clarence ended the call and closed his cell phone. He got into his car and exited the Echolls' front gate.

**XXXXXXXX**

The moment the boss made his way into the office a frenzy began. Everyone, from senior editors down to the guy who pushes the mail cart around began waving their photos and digital cameras at him. Ideas, theories, and utter fairy tales were flying out, creating a verbal cacophony. He cleared his throat and it all died down.

"Where's the picture of Logan Echolls' girlfriend?" He asked the group at large.

"Here!" One of the newer photographers leapt out of his seat and shoved his printout towards the man.

"You're Danny, right?"

"Yes! Danny McNeal."

"These won't do. You can't see who she is under that coat!"

"Well, I got some with my phone's camera, but they were still really far away, and they're really grainy." Danny held up his cell phone. The boss glanced at them in annoyance.

"We already know she's a blonde!" He yelled to the room in exasperation. "How is it possible that they arrived at a restaurant with thirty photographers outside and not ONE of them got a clear shot?"

"They haven't been out in public!" A bold female called out. "Logan tends to shy away from the paparazzi anyway and he hasn't even been caught partying in over a year. He doesn't do the random hookups he used to and he's just been really good at laying low." She sighed in disappointment.

"Jobs are on the line, here. I'm not kidding about this, people. I refuse to continue to be out scooped by the TMZ scumbags! I want a name. I want a picture. And I want them ASAP! And let me make this very clear. One more untrue report on this story and heads will roll! His publicist made us look like fools when she proved neither Logan nor his ex-girlfriend were anywhere near that accident scene. That will not happen again. You hear me?" Muffled noises of agreement came from across the room. "Now, where are we on the Speidi ring shot and the Brangie babies?"

**XXXXXXXXX**

_Eighteen hours earlier_

Veronica rushed into her apartment and threw her messenger bag on the couch, her keys on the coffee table, and her mail on the counter. She moved quickly back to her bedroom, peeling herself out of her coat and blouse as she went. Once inside her room, she noticed the time on her alarm clock and cursed the LA traffic she'd just fought for thirty five minutes longer than anticipated. Her pace became more frantic as she changed into the sexiest lingerie she owned. She straightened the undergarments and selected a calf-length black silk dress from her closet. She shimmied into it and was about to tackle the zipper, when she heard rapping on her front door. She sped out of her room and glanced through the peep hole before opening the door with a flourish to Logan, who stood on the other side with a cocky grin.

"Damn." He stated eying her up and down.

"Come in, come in." She pulled him with the hand not holding her dress up and kicked the door shut with her bare foot. "Can you give me a hand?"

He began clapping for her as he continued to study her appearance in appreciation. "You look amazing." He leaned down to give her a quick peck on the lips. She smiled coyly.

"Not what I meant, but thanks." She spun on her heel to reveal her unzipped dress.

"Oh…Damn…" He exclaimed as he saw the pink and black lacy lingerie contrasting against the pale silky smooth skin. He let out the breath he didn't realize he'd been holding when he felt the sharp burning in his chest.

"Could you zip me up? Traffic sucked, so I'm running really late." She bit her lip and looked over her shoulder at him.

"Speaking of running late…" Logan attempted to regulate his breathing as he pulled the zipper up slowly. He couldn't quite believe the fact that his heart still raced a little when he was this close to her. Once the zipper was finished, he leaned down to plant a kiss on her head, drinking in the scent of the hair that she'd pulled into a loose ponytail, his hands came to a resting spot on her hips.

"You mean you didn't plan on taking me on a date in your work suit with your name badge still dangling from your pocket?" She turned in his arms and pulled him into a slow, longing kiss. He broke away reluctantly and gently put some space between them.

"I was on that crime scene and it ran way longer than I thought it would. The guy literally had a library and we had to catalogue around eighty five books. I didn't even get to go home. Will you forgive me for being really late for our date? I need a shower." He raised his bag in the air to indicate his change of clothing.

"Skip the shower, Logan." She pouted. "You're all hot in your FBI digs." She moved closer to him.

"Did I mention we catalogued the books because each of them had blood spatter?" He stepped back.

"So? Did I mention you look really sexy?"

"I'm covered in finger printing dust and luminal. I'm all crime-scene-y." He complained with a hand gesture to emphasize his disgust. "I'm going to take a shower so that I can come back out here and show you just how unbelievably gorgeous I think you look tonight." He grabbed her left hand and brought it to his lips. "Then we can finish what Mac so rudely interrupted this morning."

"I'm not a sex slave. You promised me a date." Veronica challenged, coming closer to him.

"You're right. I did." He conceded. "What do you say I call Louie and get us dinner to go so we can come back here and come up with creative ways to feed each other? I didn't tell you that I spent all day long frustrated as hell about the fact that we got interrupted every time things started getting good, did I?" He gave her a lascivious grin.

"I think I received a text message or twelve regarding that very subject." She laughed. "I like your idea except for the fact that I got all dressed up for a date." She twirled around to make the skirt of her dress flare out.

"If we come back here, it will prevent me from kicking the ass of every other guy we come in contact with. There's no way they'd take their eyes off of you in that." He countered.

"Fine. You win. Go shower. But hurry your ass up. Veronica Mars waits for no man."

"Not even the owner of an amazing Italian restaurant?" He asked, walking away from her and throwing his bag over his shoulder.

"Partial owner? Not so much." She corrected. "Clock's ticking, Echolls."

**XOXOX**

"Hey Bobcat, what do you want so I can text Louie?" Logan asked as he came from the bathroom freshly showered. He had a small towel around his neck and was clad in only a pair of silk leopard print boxers. His fingers were moving rapidly over the keys of his phone. When she didn't answer, he looked up in question. She sat on the couch staring up at him wide-eyed and looked unmistakably embarrassed. Her cheeks were flushed and she pressed a fist to her mouth like she was going to clear her throat. With her other hand she discretely made a gesture it took him too long to realize was pointing to her right.

"Keith!" Logan called, too loudly to the man standing in the kitchen holding two glasses of water.

"Logan." Keith stated through gritted teeth as he walked over to hand his daughter one of the glasses. Veronica bit the inside of her cheek to keep herself from reacting to the deer-in-headlights look on her boyfriend's face.

"Dad's going to come with us to dinner." She stated, trying to verbally knock some sense into him.

"Oh, good." He recovered. "The usual, Keith?"

"Yeah. How'd you guess?" Keith answered, his eyes avoiding the entire direction of the well-toned almost naked man who was obviously boffing his daughter. _Did he seriously call my little girl BOBCAT?!_

"Cool. Veronica?"

"Manicotti?" She looked at him, attempting to convey an apology at the same time she urged him to go get dressed in their short eye contact.

"I'll get the table in back so we'll be able to chat." He replied and fled the room.

"He didn't have time to change at home. He came straight from a crime scene so he took a shower here." Veronica defended the state of Logan's undress to her dad.

"You're an adult, Veronica. What you do in your home is none of my business." He sighed and gulped his water, wishing it was something stronger.

"Seriously! He had fingerprinting dust and Luminol all over his suit." She added. They awkwardly chatted for a few minutes until Logan came out in deep midnight blue slacks and an almost royal blue dress shirt, with a silk tie that contained both colors drawing it all together.

"I forgot my jacket in the Rover." He apologized. Veronica felt her face flush and gulped as she took in his appearance even without the jacket to complete it. "We should probably get going."

"I'll just be a minute." Keith stated as he moved toward Veronica's bathroom.

"A little warning would have been nice!" Logan chastised quietly once he heard the door click shut. She jumped up from the couch and put a hand on his arm to calm him down.

"I had no idea he was coming. He had to testify at some trial in Burbank and he's used to just dropping by when he's in town. Damn, you look amazing." She grinned, face flushing again.

"What about our plans?" He grumbled, crossing his arms in protest.

"What was I supposed to say? Sorry, Dad, Logan and I are planning on ravishing each other all night. Come back another time for Daddy Daughter time."

"Or maybe, my boyfriend and I are going out on a very much needed date we've been looking forward to all day?" He challenged.

"He wants to talk about what happened in Neptune." She explained sadly.

"Oh." He pulled her into a hug. "You mean what happened in high school?" He asked. _When I caused you to get raped by one of my friends?_ Was his unspoken thought.

"Yeah."

"You want me to leave you two alone so you can sort it all out?" He offered sacrificially.

"No! I want to get through dinner with Dad as quickly as possible so we can at least END the evening as planned." She ran her hands up and down his chest to emphasize her point.

"Want to take him to dinner and I'll stay here?"

"And not get to show off all of this sexy?" She waved her hand in front of him. "I think not. Haven't you heard that the best accessory is always a hot guy on your arm?"

"I should be offended that all you see me as is man candy…but I'm not." He leaned down and placed a chaste kiss on her lips.

"Man candy and a free dinner? My idea of a good night."

"What makes you think I'M paying after you pre-empted our date for Meet the Parent?"

"Are we ready?" Keith announced his presence loudly as he re-entered the room, causing them to separate. "Good thing I was in court today. You two look better than me, but at least I'm in a suit."

"Aw, you look good, Dad." Veronica smiled.

"And you look beautiful, Honey." He smiled back.

"And, I know I look good." Logan teased. Veronica rolled her eyes at her dad as Logan put on a pair of dark sunglasses and posed like a model. "Let's roll."

"Who wants to drive? I assume the celebrity is above riding in the Town Car?" Keith voiced, nodding toward Logan.

"I'll drive." Veronica and Logan said in unison.

"That clears that right up." Keith teased.

"You haven't even seen my car yet. It's my turn." Veronica stated to Logan.

"But, I'm the guy." He whined.

"Way to automatically disqualify yourself, buddy!" She snarked and mockingly punched his shoulder. "I'm driving."

"Shotgun!" Keith declared, smirking at Logan. Veronica snickered behind her boyfriend's back as she picked up a dark pink shrug from the back of the couch. Logan pulled the garment from her hands and slid it over her bare shoulders. His fingers trailed up her arms as he did and elicited goose bumps. She turned to smile at him.

"Thanks." She said softly. "You can drive." She suddenly blurted out.

"You just realized that in all of your rushing around you forgot to go to the gas station, didn't you?" Logan challenged, knowing there must have been an ulterior motive behind her cessation.

"Save the guesswork for the professionals, Logan. Your job is to look pretty and pay the check at dinner." She chided to avoid answering his claims.

"Doesn't matter who is driving. I still have shotgun." Keith smiled.

**XOXOX**

"Oh, shit!" Logan exclaimed as the trio walked away from the Range Rover in the parking lot next to Louie's. Veronica looked up at him in confusion in just enough time to find herself being tucked under his arm. Logan whipped his jacket off and smashed it down over her head.

"What the hell?" Her muffled reply came from under the coat.

"Keith? Could you hang back and come in in about ten minutes or so?"

"Good call." Keith agreed.

"I repeat: What.the.hell?" Veronica pinched Logan's side.

"Guess who's here?" Logan growled as he continued to force her under the cover of his jacket. He walked them toward the restaurant as they were suddenly flooded by men with cameras. Veronica instinctively wrapped her arms tightly around Logan's waist.

"Logan! Who's the blonde?"

"Logan, did you really get in a car accident two weeks ago or was that a publicity stunt?!"

"Logan! Logan! Over here! Smile for the cameras!"

"Hey Logan! Mr. Echolls! What's your opinion on rumors your sister is writing a tell all?"

"Come on out, Blondie!! Show us your face!"

Through the barrage of catcalls and pushing, Logan held onto Veronica protectively with one arm and held the other up to block some of the flashes from blinding him, even with his sunglasses on. "Back up, please." Logan requested more nicely than deserved and he continued to push through the mass toward the entrance.

"Is Trina engaged?"

"Come on! Show us your girl! What's the matter with her? Is she too ugly to face the cameras?"

"What's wrong? Is she married? Why are you hiding her?"

"MOVE." Logan demanded more forcefully. He jerked Veronica forward to prevent one of the photographers from getting too close to her.

"Logan! Why won't you just have a conversation with us?"

"Yeah, Logan! We're just doing our job. Cut us some slack! Show us your date's face! What's her name?"

Two of the paparazzi stepped in front of them and blocked their path to the doorway. One had a large video camera focused on Logan's face. "Show TMZ how mean you are!" The other started wildly flashing pictures in Logan's face.

"Get out of the way!" Logan yelled. He was on the verge of smashing cameras when the door to the restaurant flew open and knocked them out of Logan and Veronica's way. Three more photographers were pushed out of the restaurant by a very angry Louie. He helped Logan inside and told the mass that he had already called the police. He escorted Logan and the still-cloaked Veronica to the private room in back. The restaurant patrons watched in awe as the celebrity rushed past their tables. Some snapped photos with their phones.

"Trina! What the hell?!" Logan roared once the door shut behind them. He finally released Veronica and she smoothed her rumpled hair and dress, breathing deeply.

"Logan!" Trina rose from her seat at a table. "I'm sorry. They followed us from the house."

"There is one rule, Trina! ONE. No vultures at the restaurant. You know that!" He argued.

"I know. But they've been all over us all day! And Dave decided to come here because he didn't think they'd follow us this far out of town. If I'd known you were coming tonight we would've gone somewhere else."

"Dave's with you?" He asked, finally calming his temper.

"Yeah. He's in back with Junior trying to drum up a scandal somewhere else so we can ditch the paps."

"Why are they swarming us all of a sudden?"

"No clue. There was no one at the house after this morning. Then we were out shopping and suddenly it was raining cameras. They haven't left since."

"Who's Dave?" Veronica finally tried to join the conversation.

"My boyfriend." Trina answered.

"That would be me." A tall attractive blonde man called from the doorway. He was wearing a navy blue dress shirt with the sleeves rolled up and top two buttons undone. His jeans were casual and baggy. Veronica was extremely impressed with Trina's choice in a boyfriend. He seemed down to earth and informal. "Dave Duskers." He held out his hand for Veronica and her jaw dropped in surprise.

"The Cy Young award winner, Dave Duskers? The Padres relief pitcher?" She asked in awe.

"One in the same." He smiled. "I can't believe one of Logan's friends follows baseball. I'm impressed." He teased over her head to Logan.

"My dad's been training me on baseball trivia since I was in the womb. You're one of his favorites. I'm Veronica." She extended her hand to finally meet his.

"Wait, like Logan's Veronica?" Dave asked. "I kind of thought you were a legend. One of those people who only exist in theory because you're too good to be true?"

"What?" She laughed. Logan and Trina rolled their eyes at the awestruck pair.

"You're the one who helped Trin find her birth mom, right?" He asked. Veronica nodded. "And you helped a guy escape the country? And got Logan out of jail? And solved a murder? And caught a rapist?" He seemed as wonder-stricken as she was. Veronica blushed in embarrassment. Logan placed his hands on her hips from behind in an almost territorial gesture.

"That's my girl. She's a real ray of sunshine." He joked. Keith finally made his way into the back room and looked at Dave with a big goofy grin.

"Big Dave Duskers!" he exclaimed. "When Logan told me you were dating Trina, I tried to scheme up ways to randomly drop in and see you! I'm a big fan."

"Which means you must be Keith. Logan mentioned you." Dave shook Keith's hand.

"Honey! Dave Duskers knows my name!" He said proudly to his daughter. "With Dave and Terrance down, it's only a matter of time before I track down the illusive Tony Gwynn."

"Terrance? You don't mean Terrance Cook, do you?" Dave asked in surprise.

"Yeah. He and Dad are friends." Veronica answered.

"And we went to school with his daughter, Jackie." Logan added.

"Terrance Cook is one of my all-time favorite players!" Dave said in excitement. "I think what they did to him is terrible. I know he threw a game and all but he's still one of the greatest players of all time. And people don't take into account the pressure on players to perform a certain way."

"Terrance knows I don't approve of what he did." Keith explained. "But I agree he's still one of the greatest players of all time."

"I wish I could meet him, but he's pretty much persona non grata around the ball clubs. You're FRIENDS with him?"

"Have you guys eaten already?" Logan asked Trina and Dave to avoid another star-struck encounter.

"Not yet." Trina sighed.

"I gave Louie our orders while I was in back, Hon." Dave added.

"Oh good, I'm starving." She smiled up at him.

"Would you like to join us?" Logan offered, looking at Veronica to ascertain her feelings on the subject. She offered no sign of aversion.

"We don't want to impose on your date." Trina hesitated. "You've been yammering about it all day."

"I already imposed." Keith pointed out to her.

"Trina and Dave, you are welcome to join us." Veronica reiterated. Trina looked to Dave for his opinion and found him eager to continue his conversation with Keith.

"Sure. It'll save Louie and Junior the trouble of seating us somewhere else." Trina capitulated. Keith and Dave went on conversing and Trina received a phone call from her agent that she decided to take from a secluded corner of the room. This left Veronica and Logan with a moment of privacy as he held out a chair for her to sit down. As she sat, he moved to sit across from her, but she stopped him with a look of discontent.

"What?" He asked softly.

"Don't you want to sit next to me?" She tilted her head at him.

"I can look into your eyes from across the table." He advised.

"You're closer if you're next to me." She contested.

"I can get into less trouble from over here." He disputed.

"He's having dinner with one of his favorite baseball players of all time. He won't notice anything." She fought for her way. "And even if he does, how much worse could it get than leopard print boxers?"

"Exactly. I'm in deep enough already for one evening." He stated resolutely. She recognized he would not be caving to her will and her face fell. He sat down.

"Fine." She mumbled.

"Hey, you've got something…right there." He pointed to his lower lip and she reached up to brush off her own lip, but felt nothing so she pulled a compact out of her purse to examine. When she saw nothing amiss, she looked up at him curiously. "Hmm. Sorry, I guess it was just light reflecting off of your pout." She gasped at his affront and crossed her arms in front of her chest. Trina flopped down between Veronica and Dave before she could reply.

"So, Trina," Veronica animatedly turned to focus all of her attention on his sister. "Tell me about your book." She could see Logan slump a little in his chair from the corner of her eye while she intently listened to the story of Trina Echolls from being abandoned at the prom to her rehab nightmare. The only pause in sound came when the plates arrived.

"But that's enough about me. Tell me about you, Veronica." Trina eventually pressed. "I haven't really seen you much since you found my mother. How are you?"

"I'm good. Busy." Veronica shrugged and took a bite of her manicotti.

"I know you're in the FBI, but what exactly do you do?" She asked, determined to get more out of her little brother's girlfriend. "Or is it all top secret like Logan's stuff?"

"Well, a lot of what I do I can't talk about." Veronica admitted, unaware of the fact that Logan couldn't take his eyes off of her. He knew how little Veronica thought of his sister, and even though half the reason for entertaining Trina was to get back at him, he could see her really trying to get along. It fascinated him. "And a lot of what I do sounds really boring. But there's one thing I bet you'd like."

"Really? What?" Trina asked before taking a gulp of her water.

"My car is like a closet. I have at least four different outfits in my trunk at all times."

"Four different outfits? Why?"

"I have to be able to blend in anywhere. So, I have a jogging outfit, a business suit, jeans and a tee shirt, and…" Veronica paused for dramatic effect. "A Roberto Cavalli paisley print evening gown with matching to-die-for Jimmy Choo sandals."

"You keep a Cavalli in your trunk?!" Trina squeaked in disbelief.

"It was designed for me too. I know a guy who dated a guy…It's kind of awesome. Oh, and I forgot. I also keep a Heidi Klein bikini in there. The bureau actually lined that one up for me. Probably so the guys could watch me try on bikinis, but I'm not about to argue with free designer clothes." Veronica laughed.

"Man, you make the FBI sound a lot more fun than Logan does. The way he talks it's all just a big drag." She pointed her thumb at Logan.

"That's not true." Logan interjected. "It's all very interesting, but I can't tell you about most of it." Trina rolled her eyes at him.

"Top secret yadda yadda."

"Well, a couple months ago, I was involved in an SSG." Veronica began, then realized she should pull back any of the actual FBI references since the point was to ignore Logan, not get herself into trouble at work. "Basically, I was surveiling this guy and he led me right into the backstage area at the Michael Kors fashion show. I bumped into Tyra Banks, who is like twelve feet tall. She pulled back, looked down at me and said she liked my shoes before rushing off."

"You were wearing the Choos?" Trina asked knowingly.

"Nope. They were designed by a friend of mine, James Covington."

"You KNOW James Covington?! Designer friends and people who get you ins with Cavalli? Veronica Mars you and I MUST start hanging out more."

Thirty minutes later, Keith and Dave's conversation was finally waning. Logan and Trina had started discussing exit strategies for the restaurant and Veronica answered a call on the brand new cell phone that had appeared on her desk at work with a big red bow. She moved across the room and spoke in hushed tones, causing Logan's eyes to flit over to her. He could only make out every few words, but one of the words he did catch made his stomach drop. She'd said 'Case'. And not in the I'm-working-on-a-case kind of way. She was talking to Casey Gant and now Logan's blood started boiling.

"Logan!" Trina snapped her fingers in front of his face.

"Sorry." He refocused on his sister. "You go out the front and we go out the back. Got it."

"You seem angry all of a sudden. Not that you haven't been grumpy all night…what's up?"

"Nothing." Logan brushed her off. "And I haven't been grumpy." He grumbled.

"You so have. Why do you think your girlfriend's been talking to me and not looking up at you with her googly eyes like she normally does? I get that you're upset about the paparazzi, Logan. And I'm sorry, but don't take it out on us."

"What if they put two and two together, Trin?" Logan asked in frustration. "If they realize I own the restaurant, that's the end of our privacy here."

"I thought you left Louie the ten percent of the restaurant so that his name would be on all the papers. How are they going to find out?"

"It wouldn't be too difficult." Logan sighed.

"So, the fact that your girlfriend is talking to her ex right now has nothing to do with your current angry and fork-bending self?"

"Fork what?" Logan asked as he looked down at the fork he'd somehow bent in half. He put it back on the table guiltily. "And what makes you think she's talking to her ex?"

"You just bent a fork in half."

"I think that started when I was bored during dinner. You all kind of paired off without me."

"Because you were all grump face." She charged. "And I know a jealous look from my little brother any day." He rolled his eyes at her and turned toward Keith and Dave.

"Keith."

"Yeah?" Keith turned away from Dave to look at Logan.

"Could you take the Rover up the block to the office complex parking lot? Veronica and I will sneak out the back way and meet you there."

"Sure thing. Keys?" Keith held out his hand. Logan tossed him the keys and stood up.

"It's getting late and I have a meeting first thing in the morning. We should probably get going." Logan announced.

"I have to head back soon, anyway." Keith agreed. "It's a long drive." Dave and Trina bade their goodbyes and then followed Keith out the front. Veronica finished her phone call and glanced around the now vacant room. She rushed over to him in an attempt to kiss him, but he turned to avoid her.

"We have to get moving." He sighed. "The front door distraction will only last for so long."

"Oh fine. By all means please be pissy about me talking to my friend."

"I don't recall saying anything about it." He frowned.

"Like you'd need to." She snapped at him.

"As much as I'd like to participate in the fight you are trying to start, I wasn't kidding. We need to move." He gestured toward the door.

"Well, go ahead and throw your coat over my head and push me through the restaurant again. That was super fun." She quipped.

"Please, give me some more shit about trying to protect you." He remarked sarcastically as he grabbed her hand and pulled her toward another door that apparently led straight to the kitchen. They went out a different door than the one that led to the stairs down to the beach and she noticed they were in a private alleyway.

"You have a lot of nerve being mad at me for talking to Casey." She argued as they rushed down the alley.

"I'm not mad. I never said I was."

"You're acting mad." She sulked. He moved them faster.

"I am not. I'm just trying to get us out of her undetected."

"Right. You won't even look at me. And you wouldn't make eye contact at all during dinner, either."

"When you were trying to make me jealous by only talking to Trina?"

"Even before that. You wouldn't sit with me."

"Because you're driving me crazy, Veronica!" he exclaimed. She didn't have to pretend to be hurt by his proclamation. It cut her down to the bone. "No." He softened when he saw her face crumple. "Not like that." He assured her. "I can't look at you because every time I do I think of what you're wearing under that dress. And I didn't want to sit by you because you smell so damn good. And I am seriously having trouble controlling myself. And every fucking time we start something we get stopped. It's like someone's given me an everlasting cockblocker!" He frowned. She laughed in relief. "I'd take you right up against this wall if I didn't expect your dad to come down here and make me disappear from the face of the earth."

"Really?" Her voice was small and unsure.

"Of course, really." He reassured her and put his arm around her waist to hurry them along.

**XXXXXXX**

**psst...please review!! Thanks!**


	26. Letting Go of the Past, Sort of

CNN dot Com

/2008/WORLD/europe/10/02/space.elevator/index.html for a story i found extremely funny (if you saw the prom episode, you might understand why.)

**A/N: The next installment for you. There are a lot of products and stuff in this chap...guess what, I don't own any of it. There's also some major LoVe happening in this chap...just a heads up. Enjoy:**

XOXOX

When Logan pulled up outside Veronica's apartment complex, he kept the car running and said goodbye to Keith, who climbed out of the car and shut the door.

"You're not coming inside?" Veronica's tiny voice questioned from the back seat.

"Your dad wants to talk to you, Veronica." He said, sounding disappointed. "And I have a teleconference at five tomorrow morning with the whole Virginia office. "Go ahead. Your dad's waiting."

"No." She whined and reached over the seat to wrap her arms around his neck. "Please stay. It's only 8:45." He leaned his head back to rest on her shoulder and ran his hands along her arms to placate her.

"Go talk to your dad and get this out of the way." He encouraged. "Call me when he leaves so I can say good night." Logan turned his face and kissed her cheek to solidify his position.

"I really want you to stay." She pouted. He took a deep breath but didn't relent. "Fine. I'll call you when he leaves." She eventually confirmed with a grimace. She let go and climbed out of the Range Rover in obvious unhappiness. She put on a happy mask and moved toward her father. "Let's chat, Daddio."

Inside the apartment thirty minutes later, Veronica sat across from her dad at her small dining room table. His sour expression matched hers as she pushed a plate of cookies towards him. "Branching out of the Snickerdoodles realm?" He questioned, holding up a chocolate chip cookie, and taking a big bite.

"I always liked chocolate chip better." She admitted.

"Then why'd you always make Snickerdoodles?" He challenged.

"You like them better. And Wallace thinks they're made with crack or something." She smiled.

"Well, your chocolate chip cookies are great. I wish you would've said something sooner."

"If I make cookies I like, then I eat them. Life was hard enough in Neptune without looking like a cow." She observed. Her dad gave a sad chuckle at the thought.

"So, what's up, Kiddo?"

"You said you want to talk about it, so now's your chance." She offered. "I'd prefer if you ask questions and I answer. I'm not big on the whole replaying it thing."

"Okay." Keith sighed trying to project Keith Mars, Sheriff of Neptune, who was used to questioning victims, but failing as all he saw was his little girl across from him. He decided instead to ease into it. "When?"

"About two months after Lilly was killed."

"Where were you? Where was I?"

"Shelly Pomroy's end of the year party. I think you were out on one of your first bail jumper cases, so you didn't notice when I didn't come home that night."

"Where was your mother?" She didn't fail to notice the tinge of fury in his voice when he said her name.

"Drunk?" Veronica shrugged. Keith lowered his head unable to hide his disappointment in his former wife.

"Did she know? Does she?"

"No."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"I only had you. Tell me you wouldn't have ended up in jail or worse if you found out." She challenged. "You went after Jake and it cost you your job. I couldn't handle losing anything else." The pause in the conversation rattled them both. She began folding a napkin to avoid feeling his anger, disappointment, guilt.

"Why didn't you at least report it?" He finally quizzed.

"When I reported the crime I was ridiculed and laughed out of the station."

"What?!"

"There's no point in getting mad." She added calmly.

"What do you mean ridiculed? What the fuck did that bastard say to you?" He questioned knowing only one person could have been behind any kind of ridicule of a rape victim.

"Lamb told me to go see the wizard and ask him for a backbone because I was crying."

"If he wasn't dead…" Keith growled, unable to finish the sentence.

"I know." She answered. They sat in silence for a moment.

"Who?" He was ultimately able to ask.

"Cassidy Casablancas." She whispered.

"What? Veronica, how could he have…"

"I was roofied."

"But, he was a friend of yours." Keith stated like it should mean something. "That's why Logan blames himself? Because he was Cassidy's friend?" Keith asked.

"No. That's not why Logan blames himself. Honestly? There's really no point in focusing the blame on anyone so I'm not going to explain why Logan feels guilty."

"Is he right to feel guilty?"

"Dad." She warned.

"You're my baby girl! If someone should be held responsible for what happened I want to know." He demanded.

"Okay. Aaron killed Lilly, you blamed Jake, the Kanes tampered with evidence, Mom was a drunk, I was stupid enough to take that drink when I didn't know what it was or where it came from…"

"You can't possibly blame yourself!" He interrupted.

"You wanted a list of people to blame; I'm giving it to you. Do you get that it won't help anything?"

"Why tell me all of that and leave out Logan's part? What he did was that bad?"

"I moved past what happened that night, Dad. I'm not going to give you a list of people from the party to lynch and that's final."

"So he WAS there. You realize I'm going to find out what he did, right?"

"If you ask him, I'm sure he'll tell you. But then what? What are you going to do about it?" She argued. "Logan and I are square on what happened that night the same as we're square about you and I accusing him of murdering Lilly."

"How can you expect me to let this go?"

"You're my dad. I expect you can do anything." She said seriously. He frowned at her and then took a big bite of a cookie.

"Why didn't the hospital file a report?" He asked suddenly with his mouth full of cookie.

"I didn't go." She looked down at her lap guiltily. "After Lamb…I didn't want to go through any more, so I never went. That of course was one of the dumbest things I've ever done because I had Chlamydia for almost two years before getting treated." Realization dawned on Keith's face.

"That fucking Lavoie used an STD you got from being raped to make you sound like a whore in court?!" He raged about Aaron Echolls' slimy defense attorney.

"Dad. Stop. Cassidy is dead. The guy to blame is dead." She ordered. Keith crossed his arms and sighed in frustration.

"Are you okay, Veronica?"

"I'm fine." She answered. "I was a little caught off guard by Rebecca knowing. And I was really pissed that you found out that way. I should have told you myself."

"I can see why you didn't."

"I'm really sorry about being distant." She replied. "I mean after I lost you the election we were never really like we used to be."

"Veronica you didn't make me lose the election."

"Yes, I did. It's my fault that whole thing with Jake even happened."

"I destroyed the evidence. I didn't deserve to be the Sheriff."

"Yeah, but you only did it to protect me, Dad."

"As an agent, you should know that's exactly why I shouldn't be sheriff."

"And look how great Vinnie turned out!" Veronica sassed.

"Hey, if it weren't for Vinnie, the Fitzpatricks would probably still be terrorizing Neptune!" He defended.

"Getting caught in a huge racketeering scheme with them didn't make him the good guy, Dad! That's why he's in prison with them."

"Well, even with all of them off the streets, business is good, even if I am the only PI in town. And Sheriff Sacks and I have a good rapport going." Keith smiled. "Veronica, don't beat yourself up over it, okay? I like my job. I decided not to go back through that again. But, I never stopped loving you and for some reason, even when you pull the craziest stunts, I have trouble staying mad at you."

"I should thank my lucky stars for that one, I guess." She smirked at him.

"I can't get over how mad at your mom I am, though. Instead of being the person you could count on when things were obviously so bad for you, she abandoned you and made your life that much harder."

"Dad, YOU were the person I could count on." She challenged. "You ARE the person I can count on."

"I'm sorry I didn't warn you about Rebecca. I didn't think you'd react well to me dating her again."

"Speaking of which, have you tried calling Alicia?"

"She's engaged Veronica."

"So what? You're not allowed to talk to her anymore?"

"What do you say you worry about your own relationship and keep your nose out of mine?" He dodged her accusing stare.

"What's to worry about?" She smiled to herself. Keith shook his head from side to side. Logan wasn't even present and he was stealing Veronica from him.

"Just remember you were mine first." Keith frowned. She nodded to him in agreement. 'It's getting later and later. I need to get going." Keith announced as he stood up. "Tell Logan I said thanks for dinner."

Veronica stood up and went over to him only to wrap her arms around him. "I love you, Daddy." She sighed into his shoulder. Keith hugged her back even more tightly.

"I love you too, Sweetie." He stated over the lump in his throat. When they parted, he put a jacket on and moved toward the door. Veronica began putting the cookies into a plastic container when her dad called from the doorway. "Your boyfriend is a dork, Veronica."

"What?" She asked curiously, looking over to her father. Keith turned around carrying a large basket.

"I believe this is for you." He placed it on the table in front of her and watched as her eyes lit up at the orange and black basket that said Trick-Or-Treat on it. She grinned uncontrollably as she examined the contents of the over-flowing gift. She pulled out a DVD of some old movie called Camelot, a bright pink My Little Pony toy, a bag of marshmallows that had a box of graham crackers and a chocolate bar taped underneath, and two stuffed animals. She held up the stuffed animals curiously. One was a tiger and the other was a cat. After a moment of turning them in her hands she noticed the cat had a Wildlife Preservationist Society tag around its neck that had details about Bobcats.

"Well, I hope that's from Logan. Otherwise, he has some fierce competition." Keith remarked.

"What do you mean?" She asked.

"I think whoever gave you that basket permanently glued a smile on your face."

"Have some candy for the ride home." She answered, pointing at the huge mound of assorted Halloween candy that lined the basket.

"Don't mind if I do." He grabbed a few choice pieces. "Tell him I said thanks for the candy when you call him the second the door closes." Keith supplied and walked back out the door, locking it behind him. Veronica ran for her cell phone and dialed him immediately.

"Hello?" He answered.

"I have a problem, Logan." She announced with a smile.

"What sort of problem, Veronica?" He smiled, knowing she was smiling on the other end of the phone.

"Someone left a giant basket of candy for me and I'm all alone and have no one to share it with."

"Candy, huh? That was nice of them."

"Eh. What's the use of candy if you're all alone?" She teased.

"What they really should have given you was a stuffed animal to keep you company." He smirked.

"Oh, but they did! Two, actually." She picked up the tiger. "Logan?"

"Yes, Veronica?"

"Thank you!" She gushed. "I love it all."

"Did you read the note yet?" He queried.

"What note?" She asked seriously.

"It was on the bottom." He answered nervously. She dug through the candy with one hand, but only felt a basket at the bottom. She picked it up and looked underneath but found nothing.

"I didn't get a note. Where on the bottom?"

"Oh my God, Veronica! It was under the basket. You HAVE to find it. That note cannot get lost!"

"Dad handed me the basket, but there's no note." She said.

"Your dad?! Oh shit. If he found that note he's going to kill me!" Logan panicked. "What if it's still outside on your porch? That note absolutely cannot get into someone else's hands!"

"Why Logan? What's in the note?"

"A very detailed description of what I plan to do to you next time we're alone. Complete with memories from that massage I gave you in college."

"You wrote that DOWN?!" She joined in his panic and ran to the door and threw it open to search for the note. Instead she found Logan standing there expectantly. She looked up at him, stunned to silence. He grinned mischievously.

"Hi."

"There's no note?" She quizzed.

"Why write about it when I can just do it?" He asked. She pulled him into the apartment by his bag and slammed the door. "Have you ever been to a Target?" He asked out of the blue as she reached over to dead bolt the door.

"Yes." She answered quickly, pulling him into a heated lip lock. He pulled away.

"Tonight was my first time. They have EVERYTHING. They have movies and toys and candy and books and massage oils and food and clothes and condoms and cameras and candles, and…" He announced in amazement.

"Logan!" She interrupted. "Is there a point to this?

"No." He supplied her another smirk.

"Then drop your bag and kiss me." She commanded.

"No can do, bossy girl. This bag has my necessities for the rest of the evening. It's staying with me."

"Necessities?" She asked as she tried to peek in the bag. He pulled it away from her reach.

"Hand me your cell phone, Mars." He held out a hand. She handed him her cell and he made a big show of turning both of their cell phones off and placing them on the table next to her Halloween basket. Then he went over to her house phone and pulled the plug from the wall.

"I take it you want my full attention?" She giggled.

"I don't have any trouble in that department, thank you." He challenged. "It's everyone else's attention I'm tired of. We're unplugging the phone in your room, too." He announced as he walked toward her room.

"Logan?" She asked, moving toward her table. He stopped and turned to look at her. "I baked cookies. Want some?"

"As much as I love that you bake Snickerdoodles for your dad or Wallace? No thanks." He was unable to mask the jealous tone in his voice.

"I never baked you Snickerdoodles because you don't like them." She countered.

"What?" He questioned. "Says who?"

"Says you. You told Duncan when we were at that carnival that you didn't like those 'stupid cinnamony cookies' I made."

"What carnival?"

"In eighth grade. I made cookies and you threw yours in a trash can when you thought I wasn't looking." She pointed out shortly. He instantly looked guilty. "And then I never made any for you or even offered them to you again. Besides, you had Mrs. Navarro's cookies anyway. And then when we were dating you lived at the Grand and my cookies don't really hold a candle to their dessert cart, so I never even bothered."

"Was I a total asshole that day at the carnival? Because I was completely drunk and I don't remember much."

"Drunk? Logan we were in eighth grade!" She said in amazement.

"I was drinking regularly by the time I was in fourth grade, Veronica." He answered like it was common knowledge. She couldn't hide her surprise. She felt like someone had sent a sucker punch to her gut when she thought about why Logan, as a little boy, would be getting wasted. He sighed and moved back over to her. "Hey, don't." He frowned, but placed his hand on her waist reassuringly.

"Don't what?" She looked up at him.

_That's the face that breaks my heart._ "You know my past sucks, but it's my past. I'm okay now. Don't stress about it." He kissed her forehead. "Especially not right now."

"I made YOU cookies." She lightly poked his stomach. "Chocolate chip, no nuts, extra brown sugar, just how you like them."

"How does such a little person have such a huge memory?" He marveled.

"Do you want a cookie or not? I'm not sure that insulting my size will guarantee you get to actually eat one."

"If you baked me cookies, I definitely want." He smiled. She pulled the plastic container off the table and opened it for him. He picked one up and put it next to his mouth.

"Aren't you going to have one?"

"I had plenty when I thought you weren't coming back." She raised an eyebrow at him.

"How do I know it's not laced so you can have your way with me?" He questioned.

"I guess you don't." She shrugged her shoulders at him.

"Here's hoping." He grinned at her before taking a large bite. "Mmm." He mumbled his approval. "This is the best cookie I've ever had." He kissed her temple. "It's a lot like the one's Mac makes, only she puts M&Ms in hers."

"Wow. I can't picture Mac baking." Veronica stated.

"I know. But she always makes them for my birthday. I think Dick told her my mom used to have Mrs. Navarro bake cookies with M&Ms for my birthday and when she was going to be gone on movie shoots."

"That's very nice of him. He's a good guy, that Dick."

"And that's a sentence I never expected to come out of your mouth." Logan teased. "It's almost like you're a nice person or something."

"Have another cookie." She chastised, pulling a cookie from the bottom of the container and pushing it in his mouth. He took a bite and let the rest of the cookie fall into his hand. He frowned in surprise as he chewed. He looked down at the half cookie in his hand and his eyes popped open wide as he stared at the M&Ms laden cookie.

"It was you?!" He realized. "This whole time? It's always been you?" She smiled shyly at him. "But that started way back in college and Mac always took the credit!"

"I told her I'd keep her secret if she kept mine." Veronica remembered fondly.

"What secret did she have?"

"Nothing I knew of at the time, but she agreed so quickly I knew something was up…Then I accidentally found Mac and Dick making out on the doorstep of your apartment."

"Accidentally?"

"Maybe I followed her. It was a long time ago. I don't remember." She answered vaguely.

"Uh huh." He ate the other half of his cookie. "You know, if you ever decide to quit the FBI, you should consider baking." He grinned. "You're sexy as hell and you bake the world's best cookies; you should be one of those Food TV people."

"Callie said you called me cranky. Are you sure I wouldn't scare people off?"

"Those shows are better on mute, anyway, right?" He teased. She scoffed at him. "And note to self: my dislike of your friend is justified. She's a snitch."

"Psst, Logan? The correct answer was, Veronica, I don't really think you're cranky."

"Psst, Veronica? I happen to like your crankiness. SOMEONE needs to call me on my shit."

"Speaking of calling you on your shit." She stated and he looked up to find out what he'd done wrong. "I don't know what you were thinking when you picked this jacket."

He looked down at his suit jacket and back up to her. "What's wrong with it? I like this suit." He defended the very expensive outfit he currently had on. She moved over to him and slid her hands under the lapels, up his chest and onto his shoulders before forcing the jacket off of his shoulders. It fell to the floor in a heap along with his bag.

"It was still on?" She smirked as she loosened his tie to slip it over his head and drop it in the pile. "And I won't lie. I'm not feeling this shirt, either." She began unbuttoning and pulled the shirt tails out of his pants. He pulled away from her and grabbed his bag. He threw her over his shoulder and rushed them to her bedroom.

**XOXOXO**

"Richard!" Mac yelled in exasperation at her husband who sat on their living room couch engrossed in his video game. He'd been sitting there for hours at this point. She marched over and turned the television off and stood in front of him arms crossed over her chest.

"I was in the middle of something, Dear." He snapped at her.

"I don't care. I made us dinner. It's been on the table for ten minutes which explains why I've been calling you since then." She snapped back.

"Oh, I'm sorry. Did I not consult you before doing something you didn't want me to do? Gosh, how inconsiderate of me." He snarked at her.

"I get it, Dick. You're pissed. I got the message loud and clear. The fact that you didn't speak to me on the entire two and a half hour drive home might have tipped me off. And if that hadn't, I would have figured it out when you stomped out of the car and slammed the front door in my face."

"Not holding a door open for you is NOT the same thing as slamming it in your face, Cindy." He contradicted.

"Okay, so you didn't slam it. But this silent treatment bullshit is obnoxious. What are you five?!"

"If you didn't notice I'm not giving you the silent treatment. Hello, I'm talking to you now, aren't I?"

"What do you expect me to do?! I have to help Keith! You know he's not doing this! The Kanes are not people you mess with."

"EXACTLY! You say they are not people you mess with, but that's EXACTLY what you're doing! And you just expect me to sit there while you throw yourself in harm's way? Better yet, don't even talk to me about it first. Just go ahead and make decisions without even considering how I feel! That's the perfect way to act when you are MARRIED!"

"Okay, fine. Stay mad at me. But dinner is on the table." She sighed and left the room. Dick rolled his eyes at her retreat.

"How hard is it to just say you're sorry, woman?" He mumbled to himself and stared at the blank TV screen for a moment before standing up. "Of course, you're not sorry. Why would you even care what I think?" He continued muttering to himself as he walked toward the dining room. He saw she had set out the expensive china that his dad had given them for their wedding present. There was a glass of wine at his seat and she had what appeared to be a wine glass full of milk.

"Eggplant parmesan?" He asked as he sat down next to her.

"For me. You have chicken." She said to him watching his reaction. He looked up at her, impressed that she would make him a separate dinner, especially one that has meat in it.

"You know you don't have to do that." He sighed. "I like your eggplant parmesan."

"I know, but I wanted to." She answered before she took a bite of her dinner.

"Thanks." He stated before he dug into his dinner. When they had both finished eating one of the quietest dinners they'd had in a long time, he cleared the table and washed the dishes. As he was putting them away, she walked up to him and wrapped her arms around him, resting her head on his chest. He set the plates that were in his hand down on the counter and hugged her to him.

"I'm sorry." She said softly.

"I know." He answered, resting his chin on top of her head. "It's okay."

**XOXOX**

"Whatever you say, little bro. Bye Darrell."

Across town, Wallace hung up his cell phone and sat down on the couch in his large empty house. He decided to watch TV and began flipping through the channels looking for something to watch. After searching the hundreds of channels available, he found nothing of interest. He picked up his cell phone and started scrolling through his contacts. He spent the next twenty minutes setting up a date with Jasmine the Sharks Cheerleader and as he was entering it into his calendar he realized his gaffe. He frowned and began another phone call.

"Amazing. I got Veronica Mars' voicemail yet again. It must be a day that ends in y. Anyway, girl, this is one of those times that I get to cash in on one of those favors you owe me. I just set up a date with the smoking hot Jasmine and I realized I totally forgot about picking up our New Yorker bud at the airport. So, since he's flying into LAX and you actually LIVE in LA and I don't…I figured I could pass the buck. Anyway, he's on Jet Blue flight 2213 and he lands tomorrow night at 6:50 pm. Let me know if you're gonna punk on my favor. And you owe me a phone call." He hung up the phone and flopped back on the couch to watch an episode of Entourage he'd seen three times already.

**XxXxXxXxX**

Veronica leapt onto the bed, collapsed into a heap next to Logan, and let out a playful growl as she touched the stuffed tiger to Logan's nose. He laughed and pulled her over for a kiss.

"Okay, okay. Enough of that. I wasn't kidding. It's time for sustenance." She drew back from him and dropped the basket between them. "Hmm. Which one?" She raised an eyebrow as she picked her way through the candy.

"You are so unbelievably sexy in that." He stated, never taking his eyes off of her.

"What this?" She sat up on her knees and did a little shimmy to accentuate his blue dress shirt held in place by two buttons secured at her navel. He shook his head at her and took a deep breath to cool himself down.

"You are seriously too hot for your own good." He charged. She blushed as a lazy smile spread across her face. He adjusted to sit up, ensuring the sheet continued to cover from his hips down.

"Which one?" She held up a caramel apple lollipop and a pack of red licorice.

"For you or me?" He waggled his eyebrows at her.

"For me. You get your own candy." She teased.

"Then I'd go with the licorice. I don't think I could handle watching you suck on a lollipop right now. Even if it is your favorite."

"What's the matter, Echolls? You can't handle little old me? What happened to the boy who claimed he could go all night?"

"He's out of practice, okay?" Logan answered defensively before grabbing a Snickers bar from the basket. He ripped it open and took a huge bite.

"Wait, what's that?" She questioned before opening her licorice. "Out of practice? The great Logan Echolls is out of practice?"

"Yes, okay. Want to make something of it?" He retorted. She looked at him in curiosity, knowing he would only be averse to this kind of teasing if he really was feeling less than secure about himself.

"Whoa. You're not kidding, are you? What do you mean out of practice?"

"You have to have noticed we haven't really gone for any marathons yet." He voiced.

"Wait, are you saying Dick wasn't lying?" She asked with wide eyes.

"I don't know what he told you."

"That you gave up sex when you gave up alcohol."

"Then he wasn't lying."

"But…" She pointed at him, then at herself and raised her hands in question.

"You and I have never been about sex." He answered. She looked at him in uncertainty. "Not that it isn't amazing between us, but it's not JUST about sex with us. I'm talking about more the sex-with-strangers kind of thing. Things were getting pretty bad for me. And I was getting messed up pretty much constantly, and I was waking up in very strange places. One morning, I had to call someone to come pick me up and Jeff wasn't at home. So, on the way home, Kelly pretty much gave me an ultimatum: keep up that lifestyle or continue to be Kylie's godfather. I chose Kylie."

"So, how long before me was it?"

"About a year?"

"YOU didn't have sex for a year?" She challenged.

"Don't sound so shocked!" he pushed her so that she lost her center of gravity and fell over, landing across his legs. She frowned at him, but didn't move to get up. "You act like I don't have any self control." She propped her head up with her arm to look straight into his eyes while she wrapped her lips around the piece of licorice and pulled it slowly back out of her mouth. She could see that his eyes were focused entirely on her mouth, so she repositioned herself in order to crawl up the bed so that she straddled his hips.

"The self-proclaimed sex god of Neptune?" She ran the fingers of her left hand up from his stomach to his chest and continued to suck on her licorice.

"I believe I exhibited a hell of a lot of self control when it came to you, thank you very much. Hell, it even got you to dump me without telling me that one time. And that title wasn't so much a self-proclamation as word getting around." He smirked.

"Dump you?" She cocked her head in question.

"Yeah, that time you didn't actually tell me you had dumped me? I went to go get a drink and you disappeared? Any of this ringing a bell?"

"Yeah, but how exactly was that you exhibiting self control?" She bit the top off of her licorice stick.

"Hello? Do you honestly think I wanted to get a drink when I had you straddling me?"

"Then why did you get up to get a drink?"

"You. I didn't think you'd be up for our first time together to be in the pool house while my dad and half the school were partying inside. Plus, Duncan had walked out and it just wasn't the right time, you know? But you had those damn pigtails and that pink shirt. I was about to explode I wanted you so badly."

"Really?" Her voice held sadness and regret. She looked anywhere but at his face.

"Yeah." He brought her chin up to look at her. "You really need to stop dwelling on the past. It's not like we can change it."

"I know. It's just, I thought you were trying to make a sex tape with me, and now you tell me you were just being super considerate."

"I wasn't exactly the most trustworthy guy at that point. And it wasn't _just_ for you. I didn't want our first time to be like that either." He slid his palm over her cheek to wrap his fingers around the back of her neck. "Of course, I probably would have liked our first time to be a hell of a lot sooner than it ended up being, but I guess I can't really complain. It ended up being pretty awesome."

"Hmm. I'm trying to remember our first time…" She put a finger up to tap her lips. "Refresh my memory?"

"You, who remembers everything, can't remember our first time having sex? Somehow I don't believe you."

"I remember you used to actually be romantic." She frowned.

"Oh, so I'm not romantic anymore?" He quizzed.

"Not like you used to be."

"I see." He said as he leaned over and pulled the basket closer to dig something out of it. He wrapped his arms around her so that all she could hear was the crinkling of a wrapper.

"What are you doing?" She whispered in his ear. He moved his arms behind his back and looked at her with mischief in his eyes.

"Pick a hand." He raised an eyebrow at her. Her eyes lit up in glee.

"Um…this one." She finally pointed toward his right arm.

"Whew. You chose wisely." He grinned at her and brought his right hand up. "A kiss." He fed her the Hershey's kiss in his right hand.

"Yummy." She licked her lips. "But I prefer the real thing. What was in your other hand?"

"You chose your hand. Live with the consequences." He teased.

"Logan, what was in your other hand?" She asked again and tried to pull his left arm forward.

"Okay, okay. I'll make you a deal. You forfeit your first choice and I'll give you the other one." Logan decided out loud.

"But I already ate it." She pouted.

"So give me the real deal you seem to think is better." She leaned over and kissed him for a full minute before pulling away.

"Okay, what was in the other hand?"

"The other hand was empty." He displayed his empty hand. "All the better to tickle you with." He threw her down onto the bed and started tickling her senseless.

"Logan! Logan, stop!!" She squealed as she tried to get away from him.

"Admit you think I'm romantic!" He demanded, continuing his assault.

"You're romantic. I was kidding." She mumbled.

"I'm sorry, I couldn't hear you."

"You're romantic!" She shrieked. "Just please stop!" He stopped tickling and took advantage of their new positions on the bed to begin kissing her neck. "I thought you were too tired to start this up again." She stated.

"Guess I found my second wind." He stopped and raised his eyebrows at her before pushing the basket off the bed.

**XOXOX**

Logan woke up for the second time the next morning and furrowed his brow when his arm found nothing but cool blankets next to him. He glanced at her alarm clock and noted it was eight thirty, only an hour and a half since he'd gone back to sleep after his earlier teleconference. After deciding to go look for her, he sat up and found a note on her pillow.

_Ran to get coffee. Muffins are staying warm in the oven. – V_

_She made muffins?!_ He stretched his arms up over his head and smiled to himself at how stiff his muscles felt. He slid out from under the covers and put on the pair of pajama pants he'd left next to the bed. He opened her door and listened for any movement, still wary of the last night's surprise guest. He walked out to the oven and pulled out a warm blueberry muffin, which he devoured in about fifteen seconds. He saw both of their cell phones still turned off on the counter and quickly flipped his open and powered up to check his messages. After hearing nothing of importance, he put it back on the table and went into take a shower. He turned off the water and when he started toweling off he heard movement in the kitchen.

"Veronica Love? I'm home, honey, so don't freak out and come out here with your guns flying like last time!" The male voice called out. Logan's mind raced to try and place that voice, but nothing registered. "I'm whipping up some eggs, so get dressed and get your cute ass out here to welcome me home, Honey! Oh, and do you know where the coffee is, V?"

Logan wrapped the towel around his waist and moved out to the kitchen with a scowl on his face. "Who the fuck are you?" He asked the tall, blonde, Justin Timberlake clone standing in Veronica's kitchen. The man turned in surprise to face Logan.

"No. This is MY apartment. Who the fuck are you?"

"I'm Logan." He growled. "Who are you? What do you mean _your_ apartment? This is Veronica's apartment."

"It's _our_ apartment. I'm James." He tried to clarify, but saw it did no good as the man across from him looked ready to run or yell or do something violent. It was then that they heard Veronica's key in the lock and both turned to the door for answers. As she came in, she could only see into the kitchen and ran smack into James.

"Oof. Wait a minute, Jamie?!" She asked in confusion. "What are you doing home?! You're supposed to be in Italy until the thirtieth!" She threw her arms around him in obvious delight.

"I couldn't wait that long to see my girl!" He answered, hugging her tightly. Logan's jaw set and his stare grew more menacing by the second. "So, you're cheating on me with the boy in the towel over there?" He pointed toward Logan.

"What?" She pulled away to turn towards Logan, standing there in her blue towel. "Oh! Jamie this is Logan. Logan, Jamie." She pointed back and forth between them. She finally noticed the look on Logan's face and realized he was beyond angry. "Well, I need to shower after my run. And _he_ obviously needs to get dressed." She pointed at Logan.

"Don't dress him on my account." James snarked. "Where's the coffee, woman?"

"Here." She shoved the grocery bag she was holding at him and pushily ushered a silent Logan back into her bedroom. "Good morning!" She said with a big smile before she stood up on her tip toes and kissed him. He glared at her. "Do you think anyone would mind if you went into work like this today? Because you look seriously hot." She kissed her way around his chest. He backed away from her to avoid her and only succeeded in sitting after the back of his legs hit the bed. She grinned at his predicament and straddled his legs to start kissing his neck.

"Veronica." He stated sternly as he tried to stop her.

"Hmm?" She hummed into his neck.

"Who the fuck was that boy band wannabe in the kitchen?"

"Jamie." She replied before nibbling on Logan's earlobe.

"Stop." He demanded, pulling her face up to look her in the eyes. "Who is that guy?"

"My roommate, James Covington." She answered before kissing him as deeply as she could without him returning the kiss.

"Why is this the first I've heard of a roommate?" He attempted to back away from her, but she was persistent in continuing her playful attack and moved back to his neck.

"I thought you were listening to my conversation with Trina last night. We talked about Jamie."

"I don't recall you ever saying 'Logan, I have a roommate who calls me Love and Honey and _His Girl_ and who talks about my cute ass'."

"You don't think I have a cute ass?" She asked curiously.

"What about my current temperament makes you think I am up for joking?" He asked shortly. She pushed him all the way onto the bed so that she could hover over him.

"Would it make you feel any better if I told you you had nothing to worry about?" She questioned as she kissed her way from his abdomen up to his neck.

"Do I look any happier right now?" He snarled. She planted a kiss on his jaw and trailed her lips to his ear.

"What if I told you I'm not his type?" She whispered in his ear.

"What if you'd mentioned him before he showed up in the kitchen?"

"Okay, honestly? I didn't realize I hadn't. This is one of those times where I just assumed you knew about him. You know everything about me. You've seen his bedroom door. You can't really think I make enough to afford this place on my own." She let her fingers dance along his torso while she explained.

"If he lives here too, why isn't he in any of the pictures?"

"He is. He's in lots of them." She turned Logan's head toward her nightstand and pointed at the photo in which she was hugging Jamie, standing next to Mac, Dick, Wallace and a bunch of other people who appeared to be partying. He frowned, wondering why he'd never noticed the guy who was wrapped around her like a condom. She began sucking on his neck. "You look jealous." She teased.

"Jealous of _that_?" He scoffed, wearing his insecurities on his currently non-existent sleeve.

"Not that I don't find your jealousy incredibly attractive, but I'm serious Logan. You have _nothing_ to worry about."

"Except that my girlfriend has this uncanny habit of failing to mention things like dating former friends, contacting exes who are felons, and apparently living with another guy."

"Would it help if I told you Jamie's gay?" She kissed his cheek.

"It depends. Is he gay, or are you lying to make me feel better?"

"He's gay. Like, a fashion-designing, Judy Garland-loving, boy-kissing man slut." She announced. She smirked when his body betrayed him by relaxing a great deal even though he obviously wanted to continue his tirade. "He wasn't supposed to be back until the end of the month, which means his latest fling must not have worked out. He's only here a couple months a year. The rest he spends dividing his time between New York, London, Paris, and Milan."

"Why?"

"Weren't you listening last night? He's a big shoe and hand bag designer. Like major. LA is his hometown, but for work he's always off to somewhere, hob-nobbing with the elite."

"So, is he really gay, or are you going to tell me later that he's actually only slightly gay and you've fucked him?"

"Well, there was this one party where we got crazy drunk and well, you know how it goes…" She answered. His eyes widened in shock. She smacked his shoulder. "I'm kidding. He's gay." She chided.

"So, you've never even kissed this one, right?" He whined.

"No." She smiled. "Wait…yes. But it was New Years and I didn't have a date and everyone else, including Jamie, did." She corrected. "That picture was taken that night." She nodded toward her nightstand.

"Are you sure he's gay?" Logan challenged.

"Flaming. And trust me, I'd rather not go into _how _I know he's truly gay."

"Wait, flaming?" Logan asked. "Dick told me about a guy he knows in LA that hits on him all the time. He called him Jamie the Flamie."

"Jamie would be my roommate. But he never really hit on Dick. I mean, he did, but only because Dick was being a homophobic idiot, so Jamie wanted to freak him out a little."

"You live with Jamie the Flamie?"

"Only Dick calls him that. And don't you dare start or I'll kick your ass."

"When did you become a fag hag, Veronica Mars?" He asked in his best 09er tone.

"Stop being a jackass, Logan." She chastised before returning her mouth to his neck. "It's too bad you showered without me." She pouted. "Now you get to go keep Jamie company."

"Or, I could take another shower." He offered.

"You're already clean." She tapped his nose.

"My thoughts are dirty enough for two showers." He answered and pulled her face down for a slow, deep kiss that left her breathless. "Veronica, do you have any other major news flashes? Marriages? Children?"

"Considering you're the one who hasn't even mentioned his girlfriend of a year and a half in Michigan? That's funny." She contested.

_Oh. FUCK. How? Who? DAMN IT._ "You know about – " Logan asked in shock before she stopped him with a quick kiss.

_Wow. He's seriously freaked that I know. Good to know. Note to self: don't mention how I found out so he won't think I'm a stalker._ "Logan, I told you I knew you were in Michigan. Do you really think I didn't keep tabs on you?"

"I can't believe they told you about – " He began again before she covered his mouth with her hand.

"I don't want ANY details. None. I have enough issues with the exes I know." She admitted. He looked at her like he wanted to say something. "If I wanted to know, I would have asked, but I don't so don't even start."

"Veronica." He cupped her cheek in his palm.

"And they didn't tell me. I found out you had a girlfriend on my own. And I slept with Seth the next night. So, how's that for screwed up? My first time with him was retaliation. I'm a text book case of a girl with issues."

"You slept with Seth to get back at me?"

"I told Dick about Seth about an hour after I left because I knew he'd tell you I was getting laid. And of course a week later Mac told me he'd told you."

"Would it make _you_ feel any better to hear you have nothing to worry about?" He swept her bangs with his finger. "And that it was considerably less than a year, not a year and a half?" He added in his defense.

"What part of I don't want details do you have trouble understanding?" She queried. "Now, get dressed and go grill Jamie for dirt on me. I'm going to take a shower."

"I'd rather shower with you."

"Yes, I know. And see how you don't always get what you want? That's called reality, Bucko." She kissed his forehead and jumped up to head off to the shower, leaving Logan to stew for a full minute before getting dressed. After a deep breath, he headed out to the common area of the apartment, finally noting the closed door opposite Veronica's was obviously a bedroom door.

"Logan!" She burst through the bathroom door soaking wet and grasping a towel to her body.

"What's wrong?" He asked at her panicked expression.

"I forgot to tell you something about Jamie!" She stated seriously, but quietly.

"What?" He asked timidly, afraid of what could be so important she left the still-running shower.

"He's got this…I mean…He sort of…" She stumbled over her words. Logan nodded, waiting for the blow. "He loves your mom." She eventually finished. Logan gave a short laugh.

"He and the rest of the gay men in America." He sassed, planting a soft kiss on her wet temple.

"That may be, but Jamie's borders on obsession." She pressed on, her face showing her apparent concern. "When he realizes who you are, I just, I don't want you to feel ambushed." She locked eyes with him.

"Noted…Thanks." He still stared into her eyes. "Was that all or is there something else?"

"You can wait for me, if you want." She soothed.

"It's okay, Veronica. I can handle it." He smiled at her, trying to convey his appreciation that she wanted to protect him from the big bad fan.

"Okay." She sounded uncertain. "If he gets to you, just tell him to lay off." She moved back into the bathroom, closing the door behind her. He opened it and peeked his head in just in time to see her hang the towel on the hook by the shower.

"Cute ass, indeed." He announced with a smirk. She jumped in surprise at his voice, scowled at him and hurried to the other side of the shower curtain where she proceeded to blush furiously, letting a smile creep onto her face. He grinned and exited, closing the door behind him.

XXX

**I was about two seconds from ending this without telling you who Jamie was, so you should at least reply your utmost praise for me not giving you a cliffhanger. Or y'know...a regular review would be good too. THANKS!!**


	27. Bonus Scene Not a Chapter

**PLEASE READ THE AUTHOR'S NOTE BEFORE STARTING THIS CHAP!!!!**

**A/N: Explanation of the following 'chapter': ONE, This is another bonus chapter. If this were a DVD, this would be an EXTENDED scene. I only wrote a tiny portion of the following. And the stuff I wrote was in the LAST CHAPTER (Chapter 26, Letting Go of the Past, Sort of). My stuff is in italics. This is the result of a collaboration of sorts. This chapter was written by one of my favorite authors in VM Fic-dom, ChristyKQ. TWO, this chapter is rated M. By all means, if you are under-aged and/or choose not to read this type of literature you are fully within your rights to skip this piece. You will not miss anything that is pertinent to the story, however, you will miss out on some great writing courtesy of ChristyKQ. THREE, I am a lamer and didn't post this right away because life got crazy. Sorry, Christy!! FOUR, The next chap will be up soon, but PLEASE comment on this chap to give Christy your feedback!!**

**Reminder: This chap is rated M.**

**VMVMVMVMVM**

_He looked down at his suit jacket and back up to her. "What's wrong with it? I like this suit." He defended the very expensive outfit he currently had on. She moved over to him and slid her hands under the lapels, up his chest and onto his shoulders before forcing the jacket off of his shoulders. It fell to the floor in a heap along with his bag._

_"It was still on?" She smirked as she loosened his tie to slip it over his head and drop it in the pile. "And I won't lie. I'm not feeling this shirt, either." She began unbuttoning and pulled the shirt tails out of his pants. He pulled away from her and grabbed his bag. He threw her over his shoulder and rushed them to her bedroom._

…

Logan heaves Veronica off of his shoulder and onto her bed. She squeals with amusement when her body bounces on the mattress and her limbs thrash wildly. He walks to the bedside table and empties his goodie bag.

Veronica's eyes grow wide as Logan unloads a box of condoms, a digital camera, two bottles of massage oil in cherry and chocolate flavors, a few scented candles, two bottles of water, a container of chocolate syrup and a jar of maraschino cherries on the table.

"Planning something special?" She giggles as she rolls onto her stomach and rests her chin in her hand, kicking her feet in the air, watching her boyfriend soften the mood by lighting the candles and setting them around the room.

"It's always special with you, Snookums." He says as he quickly pulls his dress shirt and undershirt over his head and drops his pants before jumping on the bed with exaggerated acrobatics and extra bounce, causing Veronica to slide toward the dip in the mattress and collide into his heavier frame.

"Hi." She laughs when her healthy shoulder smashes into his arm.

He nimbly rolls on top of her body and pins her arms on either side of her head, entwining their fingers together, looking deep into her light blue eyes and he smiles softly. "Hey." Logan slowly lowers his head and gently kisses a feather-soft peck on Veronica's lips.

Their kiss grows more intense and Veronica moans as Logan releases her hands from his hold. His right hand slides behind her head, pressing her mouth tight to his while his left hand wanders to her thigh, lightly tickling her flesh as his fingers venture under the hem of her dress.

Her arms wrap around his body as her fingertips explore the toned muscles of his broad shoulders and defined back.

Logan pushes Veronica's dress up her body with his left hand while his mouth travels down her neck. She arches her body and drops her head back into the mattress, purring. "Mmm. That feels so good."

He glides the silk garment over her plump mounds, accented by her bra and Logan finally gets to examine Veronica's very sexy black and pink lacy push-up bra. "I've been thinking about this all fuckin' night." He mumbles into the soft skin of her breast, nuzzling his nose against her delicate flesh as he pushes her dress over her head and tosses it to the floor.

He reaches for the camera on the bedside table as his lips land on Veronica's mouth.

A bright flash illuminates the room and Logan chuckles against her lips.

"What the hell was that?" Veronica questions, looking around the room.

"Nothing." He grins and wiggles the digital camera in his hand.

She grabs for the camera as Logan rolls onto his back and holds it out of her reach, laughing lightheartedly and snapping another random photograph.

"Come on, Logan." Veronica whines, stretching to seize Logan's digital weapon.

He points the camera casually and captures another unrehearsed moment.

"Let me see." She complains, swatting Logan's bare chest with her hand as an additional flash brightens the room.

Logan presses his cheek to her cheek. "Say cheese, Bobcat." He directs a big cheesy grin toward the camera while Veronica laughs out loud and Logan clicks one more photo from his outstretched arm before handing the camera to his girlfriend.

Veronica pages through the digital photographs recorded in the camera as Logan repositions himself on top of her body. He palms her small boobs through her lacy bra as he kisses her flat stomach and wraps his thumbs around the under wire, lifting her bra up and releasing her plump breasts from their enclosure.

He fondles her tits quickly before latching his mouth around her taut nipple.

Veronica tosses the camera to the side, quickly forgotten, and twists her fingers through his hair.

Her legs wrap around Logan's body as he cups her left breast in his hand and pinches her nipple lightly. A long moan escapes from deep in Veronica's throat at the same time he sucks and bites her right nub.

The tip of his tongue swirls around her boob before slowly falling to the heated skin of her abdomen.

Logan's hands massage her tits and twist her nipples as his mouth lowers to her black and pink boy shorts.

Veronica's fingers gently pull Logan's light brown hair as he kisses her patch of curls through her underwear and bypasses the lace material, pushing one finger into her center.

She exhales loudly and arches her body into his hand. "More."

Pulling her boy shorts down her thighs with one hand, tearing the flimsy lace as he goes, he abandons her underwear at her knee. Logan licks the length of her warm folds and adds another digit to caress Veronica's sensitive inner walls.

She gyrates her hips and begins massaging her breasts, twisting her nipples and enhancing the feeling of his touch.

Logan sucks on her clitoris as his fingers thrust in and out of her vagina at a rapid pace and Veronica moans. "Logan."

At the sound of her voice muttering his name, Logan speeds up his rhythm and bends his fingers slightly sending Veronica over the edge.

"Oh, God!" She pulls on her nipples and pushes her hips up, spreading her legs wide. "Logan! Oh. My. God. Logan! Yes! Yes!"

Logan continues circling her nub of nerves with his tongue as her internal muscles tighten around his fingers and her vision goes white while his fingers poke at a slower and slower rate.

"Oh, God." She coos and relaxes, lying limp on the mattress as Logan removes his fingers and licks her swollen lips clean of her juices, tickling her oversensitive clit with his tongue before meandering light kisses up her wilted body.

"Good one?" He asks as he touches baby-soft kisses to her chin, nose and forehead before lying on his side, resting his head in his palm and gently tapping his fingers on her stomach.

"Uh huh." Veronica smiles, opening her eyes and cupping his cheek in her hand. "Reallygood."

He smiles as he watches the beautiful woman in front of him cuddle into his side exuding a glorious afterglow and he wraps his arm around her petite body, shifting her weight on top of his chest.

Veronica rests on Logan's muscular frame as he envelopes her form in his strong arms, stroking her back gently. They relax in each other's arms for a few minutes, enjoying the tranquility of the moment when Logan casually unclasps Veronica's bra with one skillful hand and continues caressing her back.

She smiles against his skin and abruptly pushes herself up into a sitting position, wincing slightly when a spark of pain radiates from her shoulder. She straddles his hips and locks eyes with Logan.

His fingers gently rub her injured shoulder as Veronica lets her bra straps fall from her arms, pushing the lingerie off the edge of the mattress. She bites her lower lip nervously and blushes as Logan's eyes drop to her breasts.

"You are so beautiful, Veronica." He says as he sits up, massages her tits and kisses her cleavage.

Veronica shifts her body and tugs Logan's silk leopard print boxers off his hips as he wiggles to help lower the garment and spring his dick free, touching her inner thigh lightly.

"Mmm. One second there, Big Boy." She kisses his lips quickly as she reaches for a condom and returns to her position straddling his hips.

Veronica rips open the wrapper without delay, slipping the condom over Logan's erection and looks deep into his lust filled eyes.

He licks his lips with anticipation, takes a deep breath and rests his hands on her hips as Veronica hovers over his hard-on and gradually slides down onto his rock-hard shaft.

She gasps as his cock fills her center completely. "Oh, God."

Logan thrusts his hips upward in quick succession as Veronica grinds down against his body, driving him into her core profoundly, touching her cervix.

His hands massage her breasts roughly as her head dips back and she moans, gripping his shoulders with both hands for balance.

Logan smothers her nipple with his mouth and bites lightly, making Veronica gasp and rotate her hips more quickly before bobbing up and down.

"Oh God, 'Ronica." He breathes.

She raises her hips and Logan's dick slips out of her canal almost entirely until Veronica pushes down, enveloping him completely and rubbing her clitoris on his pelvis before repeating her movement over and over and over.

Logan thrusts up, meeting her hips each time at the same time his hands squeeze and pull Veronica's nipples.

Veronica quickens the pace and looks directly into Logan's eyes. "I'm close." She grunts.

"I am too." He whispers and reaches between their legs, touching her clit with his thumb and she increases her rhythm.

Logan presses his thumb firmly against her nub of nerves and her inner muscles constrict around his penis, sending them both into euphoria together.

"Oh God!"

"Yes! Yes! Logan! Yes!"

"Oh Fuck! Baby!"

"Oh! My! God!"

Her entire body pulsates and every nerve tingles as Logan fills the tip of the condom with semen, thrusting wildly upward a few times before flopping back on the bed, exhausted and sweaty.

Veronica slumps against Logan's slick chest, exhausted and breathless. "Oh my God! Logan."

He laughs and encloses her tiny body in his arms as Veronica's stomach growls loudly.

She nuzzles her face in his chest, embarrassed as Logan nudges the top of her head with his chin, laughing. "Hungry, Bobcat?"

"No." Veronica says confidently as her stomach rumbles again.

Logan rubs her hair down with his hand tenderly as he pulls her chin up to look in his face. "Why don't you get us a snack and I'll get rid of this condom."

She pecks his lips with a quick kiss before Veronica slides off of Logan's flaccid dick and crawls off the bed, kicking her ruined boy shorts off of her leg, grabbing his dress shirt off the floor and slipping it over her naked body.

He sits up, leaning on his elbows and watches Veronica button the bottom button of his shirt and smiles. "Veronica, you are so fucking sexy."

She grins wide and turns on her heel, leaving the room in search of a snack.

Logan watches his girlfriend pad into the hallway and goes to the bathroom to discard the used condom and quickly returns to the bed.

…

_Veronica leapt onto the bed, collapsed into a heap next to Logan, and let out a playful growl as she touched the stuffed tiger to Logan's nose. He laughed and pulled her over for a kiss._

_"Okay, okay. Enough of that. I wasn't kidding. It's time for sustenance." She drew back from him and dropped the basket between them. "Hmm. Which one?" She raised an eyebrow as she picked her way through the candy._

_"You are so unbelievably sexy in that." He stated, never taking his eyes off of her._

_"What this?" She sat up on her knees and did a little shimmy to accentuate his blue dress shirt held in place by two buttons secured at her navel. He shook his head at her and took a deep breath to cool himself down._

_"You are seriously too hot for your own good." He charged. She blushed as a lazy smile spread across her face. He adjusted to sit up, ensuring the sheet continued to cover from his hips down._


	28. It Can't All Be Fluffy

**A/N: I own nothing but my laptop, so please don't sue me or the readers on here will kill me when i have to sell it to pay you off. I already take too long to update.**

**xXXXx**

"You said something about eggs?"

"Wow." Jamie replied with reverence as he turned to face Logan Echolls, who was wearing a sleek navy blue suit. Logan raised an eyebrow in question. "I'm completely impressed." Jamie explained. "You're facing the _gay roommate_ alone. That means you're either incredibly brave or very secure in your sexuality."

"Both, actually." Logan declared firmly.

"Scrambled or fried?" Jamie questioned.

"There are options?"

"V likes 'em scrambled. I prefer fried." He shrugged.

"Fried, if you've got extra." Logan requested.

"You're really not afraid of me, are you?" Jamie asked, the surprise evident in his tone. He laid a plate with fried eggs on the counter in front of Logan.

"Few people in this world are capable of intimidating me." Logan scoffed. "And a guy who designs shoes for a living? Please!" He cut his eggs up with his fork and took a bite. "These are good. Thanks."

"Most of the guys she brings around here are scared of me." Jamie stated as he brought his own plate over to the counter to eat across from Logan. "Dick is terrified of me. It's fun to play with him. Wallace pretends it doesn't bother him, but he feigns interest in the surroundings if we're ever alone. Casey wouldn't ever leave Veronica's room if she wasn't here as a buffer. Carter rarely ever comes inside, which is an abominable shame because he's sexy as hell. He just waits on the step for her. Eli spends any time with me shifting nervously between trying to intimidate me and proving he's a manly man and all about the ladies. And Seth…" Logan could hear a hint of disdain in Jamie's voice and bit back a smirk. "…barely acknowledges my existence. He resorts to snooping in drawers with his iPod blasting so that I can't ask him questions."

"Or try to scare him into thinking Veronica's some kind of slut with tales of other men?" Logan challenged. Jamie smiled.

"It was worth a shot." He shrugged.

"It might have worked on a guy who doesn't know all but one of those guys. One is my best friend, one is her best friend, one is a criminal, and two are assholes. Oh, and the one I don't know is her partner at work."

"She said your name is Logan." Jamie narrowed his eyes at Logan.

"She wasn't lying."

"So, I rushed over to the wall to check her picture. You were younger there, but it was you. You're _the Logan_?"

"The only one I know."

"Here's what I don't get. She talks about you in that ethereal-long-lost-love kind of way. You know, the one where there's more pain and deeper wounds than a girl that beautiful should know? So my question is, what the hell did you do to my girl?"

"For starters, if she's _anyone's girl_, she's _MY_ girl." Logan clarified. "And as for what I did? Well that story is far too long and complicated to have over breakfast. It's more of a drinking-into-the-wee-hours kind of tale. And drunk is the only way you'd get me to go into it with a complete stranger."

"Fair enough." Jamie complied. "You're really Logan Echolls?"

"I am."

"Holy mother of Madonna, it's true?!" Jamie's complete countenance changed. He hopped up and down in his spot, clapped his hands and shrieked. Any doubts Logan had about Jamie's sexuality washed away as he watched with reserved amusement the straight-laced business-suit-wearing man turn into a gushing fangirl. "You have no idea what this means to me! Your mother is only like my idol. She was the reason I went into fashion! I mean, she had the most impeccable taste of any woman ever in Hollywood." Logan snorted as he thought about her taste in men. Jamie didn't seem to notice. "Her clothing was always five steps ahead of the fashion trends and yet she always maintained the ideal classic beauty. I can tell she passed it on to you, as well. That suit is to die for. It's D&G, right? My friends are absolutely going to keel over and die when I tell them I met you! You _must_ tell me. Did she dress herself or have stylists? Because if she dressed herself, I might cry in amazement."

"Uh, both?" Logan answered. "She had stylists for big premieres and publicity stuff. But she was known to throw an outfit back if she didn't like what they offered. I remember one time, I think it was the Oscars or something. She marched us out of the stylist's studio two hours before the limo was set to pick us up. We went down the street to a little shop and she bought a pink dress that everyone seemed to like."

"Oh. My. God!" Jamie squealed and ran out of the room, leaving Logan to reminisce with his eggs. He shook his head to himself as he realized how hard he was trying to be sociable. Likeable. Talking about Lynn was not something he liked doing, but here he sat. All in the name of that blonde. And just like that, his thoughts turned to more pleasant memories. Jamie rushed back in carrying a giant scrapbook.

"Are you talking about this dress?" He flipped through page after page of pictures and articles of Lynn until he came to a photo of her in a pink dress. "It wasn't the Oscars, though. It was the People's Choice Awards." Logan was taken aback when he saw himself smiling up from the page.

**xXxXxXxXx**

"Logan, honey? What do you think of this dress?" Lynn Echolls asked the eleven year old boy who was flopped across the couch dramatically staring at the ceiling. He sat up petulantly and glanced at the emerald green frock.

"If I say it's perfect, can we go? We've been here forever!"

"That depends. Are you lying?" She challenged.

"Moooom!" He drew out the word in annoyance. "It looks exactly like every other stupid dress you've tried on." She gave her son a tut, looked in the mirror again and her face lit up. She glided over to her son and pressed a kiss to his forehead.

"You're absolutely right, Logan." She gushed. "None of these will do!" She scurried back behind the partition. Minutes later, despite the protests from the group of stylists begging her and promising some better dresses in back, she escorted a much-happier boy across the room.

"But, Lynn Darling! You have to arrive in two hours! What the hell will you be wearing?!" The head stylist's voice was drowned out by the hustle bustle of Rodeo Drive.

"Mom, what _are_ you going to wear?"

"I was in a shop here yesterday and I saw something that just might work." Ten minutes later Lynn walked out of a dressing room in a stunningly bright pink dress that flowed to the floor.

"And?" She questioned, doing a pirouette for her son. He gave her a goofy smile. His mom was always the prettiest woman in the room in his eyes. And the only noticeable difference between this dress and the last set was that she looked happy. He nodded 'yes'.

"Dear?" She turned to the store clerk.

"Yes, Mrs. Echolls?" She asked obviously in awe of the woman in front of her.

"Do you know where the closest tuxedo outfitter is?"

"Well, if you want to avoid the big named stores, since you're in a hurry, I'm guessing you do, you should try a place called Penguins. It's near the corner of Wilshire and Santa Monica."

"Perfect. Ring me up for this dress?" She requested and handed over a black credit card. "Logan, we're going to have to hurry to get your outfit ready."

"But my tux is waiting at home." He complained.

"We just need a few things to spruce it up." She said with a smirk. "If I'm going as your date tonight, I need to make sure we coordinate well."

**xXxXxXxXx**

"Logan?" Jamie brought Logan out of his memory.

"What?"

"I asked if this was the dress you meant."

"Oh, right. Yeah." He nodded.

"_She pulled this off the RACK?!_" Jamie questioned in disbelief. "Your mother was a goddess! And I just love the fact that she wasn't afraid to match her 'date'. You two look amazing together. How did you find the hot pink bow tie and cummerbund at the last minute?"

"A tuxedo shop on the way home." Logan mumbled.

"Did you already own the shoes or were those a last minute purchase too?"

"The tux shop had them. No way in hell I owned pink shoes." He answered defensively as he stared at the pink Converse his mother had begged him to wear.

"Jamie, please, _please_ tell me that's not the book!" Veronica asked with a look of horror on her face as she entered the room.

"You brought her son into this apartment and you expected what? I'd ignore him?"

"No. But I thought maybe you'd show him some common courtesy!" She put herself between Logan and the book to ascertain what exactly was causing the blood to drain from her boyfriend's face. Her heart broke a little as she saw the happiest red-carpet photo she'd ever seen of Lynn or Logan. She noted the missing person and guessed the reason behind the smiles. "Jamie, Logan isn't some fan. That's his mom." She tried to explain. Jamie looked hurt.

"It's okay, Veronica. I'm fine." Logan placed his hand on her back.

"V! She picked my favorite outfit of all time Off. The. RACK! Two hours before an award show! That's unheard of!"

"Jame, can't we just put it away for now?" She squeaked out. "Please?"

"Hey," Logan turned her around to look at him. "I'm not made of glass. I can talk about her. It's been years. I won't break."

"Except if you were on the verge of breaking you wouldn't say anything!"

"Coming from the queen of never saying what she's actually thinking, I find that absurd." Logan challenged.

"Granted, when I'm mad I don't go around beating the shit out of people, but that doesn't mean I don't express my feelings!"

"No, the fact that you bail when things get bad, does."

"_YOU_ are _NEVER_ allowed to talk about _ME_ bailing, ever again." She countered with a flash of anger as she thought about where he'd been for the last three years. He was smart enough not to say a word after that remark. "So, sue me if I'm worried about your feelings."

"Okay, you can stop babying me. I'm FINE." He furrowed his brow at her in an attempt to convey that he didn't feel like discussing the topic any further. Only then did she realized she was only making the situation worse by highlighting his weakness in front of a stranger to him. _Damn Logan and your stupid aversion to sympathy!_

"There are muffins in the oven to go along with those eggs." She whisked away from the guys and into the kitchen.

"Wow!" Jamie exclaimed.

"What?" Veronica questioned, pulling the muffin pan out of the oven and setting it on the stove top.

"I've never seen you lose an argument before." He marveled.

"Excuse me?" She huffed. Logan tried to hide a chuckle. "I didn't lose an argument."

"Well, you didn't win it, and that's the same thing." Jamie teased.

"Okay, first of all, it wasn't an argument. It was two people expressing differing opinions…"

"Isn't that the definition of an argument?" Jamie asked.

"Second, even if it was an argument, I didn't not win. I merely moved on. Muffin?" She waved the pan at them.

"Logan, you're awfully quiet." Jamie observed as he took a muffin. "Who do you think won your little not-an-argument?"

"The real question you should be asking is why has Veronica surrounded herself with pushovers? You've never seen her lose an argument?"

"She has everyone wrapped around her little finger."

"Ahh. The head tilt." Logan concluded. "It is pretty powerful. Alas, I am immune."

"Ha!" Veronica cried out.

"You disagree?" He questioned.

"The reason you don't back down has nothing to do with me and everything to do with you and your love of arguing! Not to mention the fact that you're stubborn as hell." She stated as she opened the cupboard above the refrigerator.

"The same can be said of you, Sugarpuss." Logan needled.

"Logan?" She turned with a tilt of her head. "Could you get that pitcher for me, please?" She pointed at the tall shelf out of her reach. He crossed the kitchen and pulled it down for her. "Immune to the head tilt, my ass!" She smirked. He rolled his eyes and sighed. "Okay, could you please put it back now?" She grinned.

"You're on your own." He frowned.

"Please?" She pleaded and finished it off by biting her bottom lip.

"Knock it off." He grimaced, but put the pitcher back anyway.

"Foreplay for you two is abnormal." Jamie snorted.

"I think technically this would be classified as post-play." Logan contemplated aloud.

"Moving on." Veronica declared. "You think we should assess the damage?" She raised her eyebrows to Logan as she opened her laptop on the counter.

"In times like these, I envy the ostrich." Logan complained.

"By failing to prepare you are preparing to fail. Benjamin Franklin." She replied.

"Do you two have some sort of secret code?" Jamie quizzed.

"She's checking on our paparazzi coverage and I'd rather go stick my head underground and pretend it doesn't exist." Logan explained.

"The best defense is a good offense." Veronica spouted.

"Paparazzi?" Jamie couldn't hide the glee in his face.

"Yes. And if you'd like to remain in my good graces you'll refrain from speaking to anyone about me or us." Logan pointed to Veronica, then back to himself.

"Seriously?" Jamie whined.

"If you do him this solid, I'll get you a meeting with Trina." Veronica intoned.

"Trina?" Jamie's eyes lit up again. "Trina Echolls?" Veronica nodded and Logan cocked an eyebrow at her, but held his tongue. "Deal."

"Thanks, Jame." Veronica smiled for a moment before her face paled.

"How bad is it?" Logan frowned and moved to look over her shoulder to see a website boasting the headline: 'Logan's Clearly Smitten Sex Kitten'. The cover photo was of Logan cradling Veronica to him, and although his jacket covered her head, the flash bulbs made her dress look completely see-through and showed her rather sexy lingerie.

"Oh, shit." He closed his eyes. "I'm so sorry, Veronica." He stated seriously. Jamie jumped across the kitchen to see what would be so bad.

"OMG, V! You're on a tabloid!!" Jamie cheered. "And aside from the fact that your head is under that coat, you look fabulous!" Logan looked at him weary-eyed. "You finally wore the dress I bought you! I'm so proud of you. Of course, next time you are going out with all the flashes, I suggest not wearing black silk. Unless that's what you're going for, because, then I say it's about time you started embracing how sexy you really are!"

"Are you okay?" Logan asked her after staring at Jamie in shock. Her nod was so slight he wasn't sure he'd seen it and she hadn't taken her eyes off the screen in front of her. "Are you sure? Because the lack of speech and eye contact is usually an indicator that the opposite is true."

"It's more than I was wearing in the video." She sassed. Logan's posture slumped while he felt the huge surge of guilt seep in. "And at least I knew about these cameras."

"Veronica…"

"What video?" Jamie asked suspiciously.

"Logan? How well _do_ you know Heather?" Veronica asked in a steely voice.

"Very well." Logan answered in confusion. "Why?"

"Just wondering."

"Wait, what video?" Jamie requested.

"You don't just wonder things." Logan argued. "Wait, you aren't saying you think Heather called them?"

"I'm saying there weren't any cameras until she arrived. Merely an observation."

"That's not an observation, it's an accusation! Heather is like a sister to me. She wouldn't do that!"

"I'm not saying she did." Veronica defended. "I'm just exploring different possibilities for how I ended up in the tabloids painted out to be a hooker."

"Well, it wasn't Heather, so think of something else."

"Do you know any of her friends? Maybe she told someone where she was going and they-"

"Why are you so focused on her?! I haven't dealt with this bullshit in years. Heather's been around and she knows exactly how I feel about publicity. She would never do this to me. And just so you know, the only thing that's changed in my life in the last two weeks has been you. So how do we know it's not you or one of YOUR friends?"

She opened her mouth to respond but found no words available. Logan started to realize he'd just blamed her for the media attention and froze. She scanned the room looking for a reason to get out of the room. Her eyes paused on the clock on the microwave.

"I'm late for work." She mumbled and fled the kitchen for her bedroom where she shut her door and locked it.

"Oh, fuck." Logan groaned as he slammed her laptop shut.

"Veronica didn't come to my show." Jamie announced seemingly out of the blue.

"Does this have some relevance? Because I basically just fucked myself over with her and that's pretty much all I plan on focusing on right now."

"It was my huge handbag release show. The biggest show of my career and one of my best friends missed it because she's terrified of getting caught on camera."

"Your point?" Logan frowned at the man next to him.

"There's no way in hell Veronica would call them up and tell them where she was."

"I know that."

"You sure as hell didn't just act like it."

"Well, here's your first chance to see the real Logan Echolls. Asshole Extraordinaire."

"I wouldn't put this past Casey, though." Jamie sighed.

"What?"

"Casey called me yesterday asking about V's new boyfriend. I told him I hadn't heard anything. He said he got the same speech from Wallace and Dick and that Veronica had been dodging his calls."

"How do you know Casey?"

"I've known him for years because I dated one of his writers. Last year his company bought a tabloid and an online gossip site. If he thinks she's avoiding him, it wouldn't surprise me if he resorted to sending paparazzi to get answers. I mean, the girl can be evasive. And that bothers him. He introduced me to Veronica when I was looking for a roommate."

"Great. That's the only thing worse than being wrong in an argument with her."

"What is?"

"Being right." Logan replied dully.

"But earlier you two acted like you got off on arguing." He countered.

"Earlier we were disagreeing. This was an actual fight. And there's only one good thing about our fights."

"What?"

"Make-up sex."

"It's that good?" Jamie asked with a grin.

"Good enough to endure the excruciating pain of a fight?" Logan asked him.

"Yeah."

"Better." Logan sighed.

"At least you're looking on the positive side, right?" Jamie laughed. "You're positive you'll get to the make-up sex. That's sweet."

"Our last round of make-up sex happened about seven years after our last fight." Logan remarked drily. "It's only so long before she realizes I'm nowhere near good enough for her."

"If Veronica had to wait for a guy to be good enough for her, she'd never get laid ever again." Jamie answered. "No guy on earth is worthy."

"Certainly not one like me."

"God. It pains me to say this, but Dick was right."

"Wouldn't be the first time." Logan mused.

"You turn into a pathetic mess over that girl."

"That he's actually wrong about." Logan contradicted. "I'm a pathetic mess on my own. She's what makes me better."

"You really are a sap, Logan Echolls."

"Well, if my mother taught me anything, it was to play to my strengths. Speaking of which…" He opened her laptop back up and pulled his glasses out of his breast pocket. Jamie knocked over his, thankfully, empty coffee mug as he stared unabashedly at Logan in glasses. "You okay?" Logan asked, gesturing toward the mug still lying on its side.

"My roommate is so fucking lucky." Jamie expressed before swallowing loudly. Logan raised an eyebrow at him. "That could have been full." Jamie recovered and quickly moved the mug to the sink. "And apparently two is my limit. I've got the jitters." He wiggled his fingers at Logan.

"Right." Logan smirked. He focused his attention on the screen and began typing rapidly. Jamie peered over his shoulder to see what Logan was up to and saw a photo of a gorgeous bouquet of assorted Gerbera Daisies. His jaw dropped as he realized Logan was ordering her flowers. Then he saw the note.

_To the girl who makes my world so bright  
__And makes the darkest nights seem light.  
__Her grace and wisdom and beauty and might  
__Set free this jackass's heart to take…his foot out of his mouth.  
__Somehow the end seems wrong. But you know me, I'm at a loss without you._

He completed the transaction.

"Marry me!" Jamie sighed to Logan. Logan laughed out loud.

"I know it's legal in some states and all, but no thanks."

"It all makes sense now." Jamie announced. Logan asked the question with his eyes. "Why V can't get over you. You send flowers, write poetry, you're fucking hot…You're a walking wet dream."

Logan shook his head and erased the website from her browser history. He slid a memory card into the computer and opened up a photograph. He set the picture as her desktop wallpaper before shutting her computer down and closing it. As he closed it, Veronica's door opened and she emerged in a blue suit. She rushed around the room gathering her laptop, messenger bag, and cell phone. She turned it on and listened to her messages. Logan watched in silence.

"Was your cell phone turned off?" Jamie asked incredulously. She nodded the affirmative, her ear still glued to her phone. "Are you feeling okay? I mean, your heart didn't stop when your phone did, right?" She rolled her eyes at him. He handed her a travel coffee mug he'd just filled. She took it and raised it to him in thanks before grabbing her keys. She waved at the two of them before rushing out the front door.

"Bye, Baby! See you at work! I love you, too!" Logan snarked at the closed door.

"See you at work?" Jamie queried.

"We work together." Logan responded.

"But, she works for the FBI. You're Logan Echolls. If you even need to work, which I seriously doubt, why wouldn't you go into acting?"

"Because acting is the last possible thing I'd consider doing. Right after rodeo clown."

"So, you _don't_ need to work, do you?"

"What else am I going to do? I'm not into the socialite lifestyle."

"So, why the FBI? I thought Veronica said you majored in Psychology."

"It's very handy to have a psych degree in the FBI."

"You're not answering the question." Jamie observed.

"Why not the FBI?"

"Because the ex-girlfriend you fled the state from was in the FBI." Jamie continued. Logan showed his displeasure, but Jamie couldn't figure out the cause. "What's wrong? Don't like that you sound like a wussy?"

"Not a fan of strangers knowing my personal affairs." Logan corrected.

"Oh. So, it's not the information, it's the source?" Jamie doubted. "Between the tidbits I get from V, Wallace, Mac, and Dick, I've pieced together a thing or two.

"I gathered." Logan was spared another question when a harried Veronica burst back through the front door. They both focused on her.

"I'm late." She announced.

"And yet, you're back." Logan replied.

"You have to drive me to work." She demanded.

"Won't that only fan the flames on the rumors that we're together?"

"Logan, I'm late and my car is out of gas. I don't have time for games." She stated tersely.

"Okay." He sighed and rushed to her bedroom.

"Bitchy much?" Jamie bit at Veronica.

"What?"

"You're being a total bitch to the sweetest guy you've ever dated."

"Biased much?" She challenged.

"He feels awful for what he just said, Veronica. And it's not like you were any nicer to him in _your_ accusation." Jamie chided. Veronica failed to respond and Logan returned.

"I have a couple errands to run on my way in, do you want to take the Rover and I'll take your car and gas it up for you?" He offered. She looked at him in defeat.

"I'm supposed to meet with Dr. Narayan at 9:15 and now it's 9:20." She finally replied.

"Here." He tossed his keys to her. "Where are your keys?" He prompted.

"Oh. Here." She tossed hers to him.

"Should I just wander until I find something that looks like you'd drive it?"

"Garage 12. The black one." She attempted a smile. "The button on there will open it." She kept looking at him.

"Aren't you late?" He prodded. She nodded in return. "Go, Veronica."

"Okay…Thanks." She ran back out the door.

"How do you do that?" Jamie enquired.

"Do what?" Logan raised an eyebrow at him.

"Leave that girl completely flummoxed. I've never seen her miss a beat, but with you she's all 'What? Oh? Huh?'" Jamie mimicked Veronica's voice almost perfectly. Logan chuckled.

"I could tell you…but it'd lose its appeal if other people could do it." Logan crowed. "I'll give you a hint though. It drives her nuts when people don't react like she expects them to. So when she's exhibiting bitchy tendencies, if I remain calm and cool it throws her off."

"You make it sound like a game." Jamie smirked.

"My favorite game." Logan amended. "Thanks for breakfast. Need any help cleaning up?"

"Nope. I'm good." Jamie answered. "Now, tell me about the video."

"I'm going to head off. Have a nice day." Logan evaded before grabbing his stuff and heading out. He found the garage door marked 12 and pressed the gray button on the keys. The first thing he noticed was the lime green BMW 740i with a license plate reading 'COVIN10'. He rolled his eyes at Jamie's ostentatious ride. The black Mazda Speed6 next to it was much more practical and he thanked his lucky stars Veronica would never drive anything that was lime green with purple and chrome accents. And spinners on the wheels, he noted as he walked between the cars to get into her car. He had to adjust everything to accommodate his height. As he moved the rearview mirror, he noticed the tiny prism she'd hung from it. He remembered the day he'd given it to her after complaining that her Saturn was far too boring and needed some 'bling'. He smiled at her sentimental attachment to a little trinket he'd given her so many years ago before pulling out. His smile turned to a full blown grin when he realized the car had serious horse power. Logan wondered why he'd never gotten himself a sports car as he flew down the street looking out for the first gas station.

**XOXOX**

Veronica sat at her desk researching more than she ever cared to know about golf courses because of the scene of her latest case. She'd just made it back into the office after coming up short on clues at the Country Club. She casually brought a spoonful of her Panera broccoli cheddar soup up to her mouth as she scanned another page of information. Bright flashes of color from the direction of the elevator caught her attention. The rest of the room also turned to follow the color. In a room full of glass, steel, and drab colored suits, anything with reds, yellows, and pinks stood out. She swallowed and put her spoon down, then closed her eyes in an attempt to mask her embarrassment. The second she saw them she knew that the huge bouquet of her favorite flowers was destined for her desk.

"Veronica!" Ellie, the perky brunette receptionist bubbled.

"Need help finding someone, Ellie?" Veronica pleaded, desperate for the twenty pairs of eyes now glued to her to find another, more-willing subject of amusement.

"No, silly! These are for you!" Ellie continued, placing the large glass vase on her desk. "They're from your-" _PLEASE, don't say boyfriend, please, please, please don't say boyfriend!! _"-biggest fan!"

Veronica looked at her in confusion. "My what?"

"The lady from the flower shop! Remember? You helped find her niece last week. She said she knew she couldn't come up here to see you, but she wanted to thank you. Sorry they're a little rumpled, but you know that pesky security protocol."

"Right. Thanks, Ellie." Veronica eyed the huge bouquet with a frown. She had been certain they'd be from him. That was his usual MO, after all.

"Have a great rest of your day, Veronica!" Ellie chimed. She gave Veronica a wink before bouncing back to the elevator, leaving Veronica to wonder how anyone that bouncy ever got a job with the FBI. _Did she just WINK at me?_ She pulled the card from the plastic stem and realized there was a hidden card. She deftly slipped it into her lap to look at later. Once she'd read the outer card, she smiled and placed it back on the stem.

"Honestly Mars. You shouldn't waste money sending yourself flowers." Omar Zubi snarked from the desk next to hers. "It won't make anyone think you're special."

"Aww, look at that, Mars. You made the _legacy_ jealous." Lyle Cooper mocked from behind her. "Don't give her shit because she receives presents based on merit, Omar. I'm sure your daddy will buy you some flowers too, if you ask him."

"Fuck off, Cooper." He snapped back. "What's the matter, Marsy? Have to get the big boys to defend your honor?"

"I'm sorry, does anyone else hear a baby crying?" Veronica asked the room at large and was rewarded with four or five unabashed snickers and a sneer from Omar. She refocused on her computer screen to continue her research. After a few minutes she slipped the card into her hand to read without anyone else seeing it. As she tried to hide the blush settling on her cheeks, she cursed her inner marshmallow, then sent Logan a text message.

_I THINK THE WORD YOU WERE LOOKING FOR WAS FLIGHT_

She received his response almost immediately and she knew he'd been watching her.

_WHY, WHATEVER DO YOU MEAN MISS MARS?_

_IN YOUR POEM. AND DO YOU EVER ACTUALLY WORK OR JUST STARE AT ME ALL DAY?_

_HOW CAN ANYONE CONCENTRATE IN YOUR PRESENCE?_

_WHATEVER_

_WILL YOU EVER LEARN TO TAKE A COMPLIMENT?_

_MAYBE YOU SHOULD LEARN HOW TO GIVE THEM_

_I MIGHT KICK OMAR'S ASS TONIGHT._

_UM WHY?_

_HE'S STARING AT YOU._

_SO? HE'S A FREAK_

_HE WANTS YOU._

_HA! YEA RIGHT_

_TRUST ME. I KNOW THAT LOOK._

_WHATEVER_

_LOOK AT HIM RIGHT NOW. HE'S PRACTICALLY DROOLING._

Veronica granted Omar with a severe gaze only to find him blush and look away guiltily. She texted again.

_DON'T EVEN SAY IT!_

_THAT'S WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU'RE THE MOST BEAUTIFUL WOMAN IN THE ROOM._

_PSSH. ONLY THE ROOM?_

_TAKE A DAMN COMPLIMENT, WOMAN!_

_SWITCH KEYS AT 6 ONCE THE CROWD IS GONE?_

_WHAT'S THE RUSH?_

_I KNEW YOUD LIKE MY CAR_

_IT'S FAST. I'M IMPRESSED._

_I DON'T GET MY KEYS BACK I SIC WEEVIL ON YOU_

_LIKE I'M SCARED OF HIM._

_IF HE ISNT SUCCESSFUL I GO TO MAC_

_COME TO MY OFFICE AT SIX. WE'LL TALK._

_THAT'S WHAT I THOUGHT._

**XoXoXoX**

At six, the office was mostly empty, largely due to the fact that Seth made a show of asking everyone but Veronica to go to the local bar for the evening. Veronica noticed Logan's blinds were still closed from his meeting with Hendricks. She'd seen the director leave for the bar and after shutting her station down, she slipped into his office.

"Shut the door please, Agent Mars." Logan stated in an authoritative tone. Veronica complied, but looked at him in curiosity. He slid his chair across the room to her and pulled her into his lap. "Are you still mad at me?"

"I wasn't mad at you."

"Liar. What I said was horrible."

"You've said worse." She smirked at him.

"You're such a sweet-talker." He oozed. "Seriously. I didn't mean it. I know you would never call the media." He brushed her bangs away from her face with his fingers. "I don't know what I was thinking when I said that. It's just…"

"Just what?" She prompted after his long pause.

"I'm…frustrated."

"Already?!" Came her incredulous reply. He glanced at her curiously and found his answer in her blush.

"No, not like that. I'm stressed out." He clarified. "I seriously haven't dealt with paparazzi in years. And I haven't been…sober…around them. I don't know how to deal with it without…"

"Staring at the bottom of a bottle of gin?"

"Well, yeah." He wasn't making eye contact with her, so she kissed his forehead.

"I'm sorry." She sighed.

"It's not your fault."

"No…I was a bitch this morning." The regret in her voice rang clearly.

"It wasn't such a good morning." Logan thought back on the internet photos. "I don't blame you for being upset. I'm totally livid, personally."

"But it wasn't your fault. And I'm more embarrassed than anything." She frowned. "I can deny that's me to most people…And really I don't think they were widely distributed, because no one's said anything. But, if Dad sees them. Or Wallace? They'll know."

"I am so sorry, Veronica." His sincerity caused her to wince. She put her arms around his neck. "If this is a deal breaker, I would totally understand."

She pulled away from him and narrowed her eyes. "What do you mean deal breaker?"

"I'll understand if you want to cool off, or take a break, or whatever."

Veronica's jaw dropped in surprise. She felt her chest constrict as if the wind had been knocked out of her. She could feel the shock setting in. "Are you..? I mean, is that…what _you_ want? Are you breaking up with me? Again?!"

Now Logan began to panic. "No! Of course not! _I_ don't want that at all." His grip on her waist tightened as he began to fear the worst. They stared into each other's eyes for a full minute before Logan regained some composure. "Okay, can we like take a time out for a second? Or maybe go back in time for a few minutes so I can figure out where this conversation went completely wrong?"

"I think that would probably be a good idea." She furrowed her brow. They were both silent for a long moment until he finally took a deep breath.

"I'm trying to come up with a way to tell you I feel like I can't even breathe without you in a way that doesn't sound cheesy. Or vapid. Or like I read it in a Hallmark card. But, I'm blanking…When I left, I did it so we could both, I don't know, move on or something. But I spent three years pretending. There was no movement on my part, or at least, not away from you. I did clean up my act, but I made almost every decision to get better based on what you would like or what would make you happier. And even before that. I didn't want to date. I really didn't want a girlfriend. I wanted you. I only agreed to go out with the girl who will remain nameless because of Mac. She said you wouldn't move on. And she said it was my fault because I wasn't moving on, either. It was awful. I spent the next nine months wishing my girlfriend was you, or wishing I wasn't me. Mostly, I just hated myself for not being smart or strong enough to end it. And at the end I was the worst person I've ever been. I can't even tell you how many times I cheated on her because I don't even know. And I never felt guilty about it until I thought about how you would feel if you knew what I'd become." Logan realized how much he'd just admitted to and closed his eyes to brace himself for the disappointment in her voice.

"I was dating Seth when I first hooked up with Casey. I think that was why I didn't get pissed when he was always such an ass to me. I felt like I deserved it because I was two-timing them both, so I just let it go. And even with two guys to juggle, I still couldn't get you out of my head. Do you have any idea how infuriating that is?"

"You cheated on Casey first?" Logan asked incredulously.

"Not that you have any room to talk, but technically no. I cheated on Seth. I never told Casey we were exclusive."

"Did Casey know you two weren't exclusive?"

"He never knew about Seth, if that's what you're asking." She frowned again and rested her forehead on his shoulder to hide her face. She said something into his shoulder he couldn't understand.

"What?" He asked, his lips gracing the top of her head.

"I'm as bad as my mom." She spoke slightly louder. Logan pulled her left hand up to examine carefully.

"Hmm." He sounded as he flipped her hand to continue. She became curious and lifted her head.

"What are you doing?"

"Looking for a wedding ring." He answered as if it were plain as day. "I'm not finding one, though, so I'm failing to see how you can compare what you did with what she did. Do you need to go visit Maury Povich to figure out who your baby's daddy is?"

"Shut up, Logan." She groaned.

"I take it that's a 'no' then?" He clarified. She granted him with an inscrutable grimace. "Hey. You worry too much." He ran his thumb along her forehead to smooth her scrunched up face.

"Like you don't, Mr. break up with the girl to teach her a lesson."

"You pulled that crap on me first!" He defended.

"You were burning down pools!"

"You were attacked by a serial rapist!"

"We're not doing the breakup thing again?" She asked in a suddenly small voice.

"The only way you can get rid of me is if I get arrested for violating the restraining order you'd have to place on me." He announced. She rolled her eyes at him, but he cut off her gesture with a forceful kiss. Just as she overrode her reservations about making out at the office and succumbed to his kiss, her cell phone blared and vibrated in her pocket. He let go of her and flopped back against the chair dramatically. She sighed as she pulled it out to check the caller ID.

*******

**A/N: Sorry again for how LONG it took me to post this. I'm a terrible person, I'm sorry. I feel so guilty for keeping you waiting...**

**A/N2: I could really use some feedback on this chap. It came about in two parts, the first felt awesome to write, the second was excruciating and caused some serious writer's block that I'm still struggling with.**

**A/N3: What do you writers out ther do when you are blocked? Does watching VM eps help you? Sometimes it works for me...sometimes not so much. I'm just curious.**

**A/N4: Glasses Logan was purely written into this chap as a gift to ChristyKQ for a job well done on the bonus chap.**

**A/N5: Did I mention please review? Thanks.**


	29. Too Much Testosterone

**A/N: I own nothing...well, I do own a new iPod Nano that's pretty tight, but I really don't want to lose it, so please don't sue me as I intend no copyright infringement with this story. Rob Thomas owns all the VM stuff and the rest of the pop culture references are just to enhance the story and help keep it in the feel of Veronica Mars, which had better pop culture references than any other show ever.**

**A/N2: It's been a long time. And the best reason I can give is that writer's block is a b!+(#. Alas, here's the next chap...finally. Thanks a bunch to all the PMs and emails I've gotten. I really enjoy getting a good kick in the writer's pants every now and then...does that make me a masochist? **

**A/N3: This is something a few of you have been waiting a long time for...And I think it might surprise a couple of you...**

**Mini refresher: Last time we left off with Veronica and Logan kissing in his office when her phone went off.**

"Oh shit!" Veronica realized. "Logan, what time is it?"

"Six-fifteen." He replied. "You going to answer that?" He pointed at her cell phone. She cringed and pressed the talk button.

"I'm on my way!" She jumped out of Logan's lap to speak on the phone.

"No hurry." Wallace chuckled on the other end. "The flight was delayed. It should get there around 8:05 now."

"Oh! That's really good." She relaxed.

"You forgot, didn't you?" He challenged.

"No!" She defended a little too adamantly.

"Uh huh. You at least wrote down the flight info, right?"

"Yes! Gosh, Wallace. Where's your faith?"

"Do you think I should go with a suit or a nice shirt and jeans?"

"EEEEEP!" Veronica squealed into the phone and Logan looked at her in amusement as she danced around his office. "Did you seriously just ask me that?"

"Don't get all girly on me! Just answer the question." Wallace grumbled.

"What are you doing?" She lulled into the phone.

"Drinks at a hot new bar in the Gaslamp District."

"Suit, no tie. Make sure it's a nice shirt so you can take off the jacket if you go to a club afterwards."

"I knew I kept you around for a reason."

"Whatever. Call me with details!" She smiled.

"I'm not a girl, Veronica."

"Uh huh. Bye, Wallace!"

"Bye, V." Veronica hung up the phone and turned to Logan who had been watching her.

"Somewhere to be?" He asked.

"LAX at 8:05." She grinned at him.

**-XOXOXOX-**

"Logan Echolls?!"

The sinkingly familiar voice, so full of disdain and surprise, forced Logan to turn on his heel. "Piznarski. Of course, it's Piznarski." He realized.

"Of course what's me?"

"The guy we're here to pick up. She said 'friend'. I should have known when she didn't give a name that it would be an important detail. I mean, why couldn't she say, 'Logan, I'm going to pick up an ex-boyfriend who hates you. Maybe you should stay home'."

"You hate me more. And please call me Piz." The man with sandy blond hair acknowledged. "And what are you talking about? I thought Wallace was picking me up."

"He had a date and cashed in a favor."

"Of course he ditches me for a chick." Piz appraised. "Great. So, where is this 'she' you speak of. I assume you mean Veronica."

"Right over there with the flirty frog." Logan pointed to a brunette Veronica, talking to a tall twenty-something male. Logan and Piz moved close enough for Piz to hear that they were conversing in French.

"She dyed her hair?" Piz questioned.

"Wig." Logan replied, subconsciously adjusting his baseball hat lower on his head.

"Why?"

"Paparazzi." Logan answered, seemingly distracted.

"Together again, huh?" Piz switched his duffle bag from his left to his right shoulder.

"Yep."

"It's about time." Piz stated under his breath. "So."

"So." Logan replied awkwardly. They stood in silence for a while before Logan took pity on him. "Do you like being a DJ?"

"Yeah. How'd you know about that?" He asked in surprise before looking over at Veronica. "Oh, Duh. Never mind, dumb question. Of course Veronica told you."

"Actually you're kind of famous. Piznarski's Army on Rock 107, right?"

"It's only big in New York." Piz dug his hands in his pockets sheepishly.

"I lived in New York." Logan informed him.

"Are you saying you listened to my show?"

"Yep."

"Damn…But, you weren't like a regular listener, right?" Piz asked, his eyes widening in fear.

"Are you asking if I know about the Thursday Morning Beat Down?"" Logan questioned. Piz looked at him agape. "I'm actually a bit flattered. Most people don't have radio show segments in homage to their ass-kickings."

"Right."

"It's entertaining to hear people call up old grudges so a panel of people can bitch them out."

"Wait. You get that it's about guys like me getting revenge on guys like you, right?"

"Yep."

"You're not pissed?"

"As far as coping mechanisms go, yours is creative. And…it's funny as hell. My favorite was the guy who called up his old gym teacher."

"And the jury started yelling at him to drop and do forty?" Piz laughed.

"Yeah!" Logan nodded. "That was hysterical."

"Wow." Piz decided not to look a gift horse in the mouth, so he refrained from asking any more questions. He realized Logan was still only partially involved in the conversation and scanned the area to see what Logan was staring at. He was surprised when the only thing he saw in that direction was a cement pillar. He noted the frown on Logan's face and took a deep breath to stave off the awkward silence before looking over at Veronica. "Are they speaking French?"

"Yep."

"Wish I knew what they were saying." Piz sighed.

"Really...how are you?" Logan replied.

"What?" Piz asked.

"I'm good…Mars, how can you be good?...I don't know, but I am."

"Is that what they're saying?" Piz clarified.

"Uh huh."

"You speak French?!"

"Oui, monsieur."

"Does that mean 'yes'?"

"Yes." Logan chuckled. His chuckle alerted the man with Veronica to their presence.

"Qu'est-ce qu'il a?" He asked Veronica. "Il écoute notre conversation." Veronica looked up to see he had nodded toward Logan and noticed Piz was already standing with him.

"Oh! Sorry. Carter, this is Logan. And this is Piz. Logan, Piz, my partner, Agent Carter."

"Wow. A real live FBI Guy. What brings you to the airport?" Piz queried, holding out his hand for Carter to shake.

"He just flew in from Paris." Logan answered at the same time as Carter answered the same thing as he returned the gesture from Piz. Veronica gave Logan a severe glance, warning him not to give away his intel.

"_You_ speak French?" Carter asked.

"Je parle aussi bien que toi." Logan answered.

Veronica's jaw dropped. "How did I not know you speak French?" Veronica quizzed.

"Tu n'avais qu'à me demander." Logan answered with a grin.

"Note to self: Learn French." Piz remarked.

"Sorry, Piz. I guess it _is _a little rude to speak in another language so other people won't understand you." Logan glared at Carter. "So, Veronica. Where does Carter live, since I'm taking him home?"

"Two blocks down the street from my place." She answered brightly, attempting to prevent Logan's mood from darkening.

"So, Piz. Where am I taking you?" Logan turned to focus his happier attention on Veronica's ex.

"Right. About that…" Piz stalled. "I was planning on crashing with Wallace." He laughed uncomfortably. Logan let out an amused breath.

"And I'm guessing your wife wouldn't be too happy if you stayed with your ex-girlfriend?"

"How'd you-" He started.

"You talk about her on the radio." Logan stated.

"Right. She's cool. But, um, not that cool." Piz shook his head no.

"Right." Logan nodded. "So, Piz. Do you have any checked bags?"

"Just this." He raised his large duffle bag.

"Okay, cool." Logan pulled his cell phone out of his pocket and began a call. "Hey, Trin. Okay, I know how you feel about me picking up strays, but this one's got these blue puppy dog eyes and shaggy hair. I just know you'll love him…Of course you are…Great…See you next week." He put the phone back into his jeans pocket. "You're in luck. Hotel Echolls is open for business." He put his arm around Piz and steered him towards the glass sliding doors that led to the parking structure. Logan spoke to Piz in hushed tones. "Let's chat about how much my girlfriend is going to owe me. By the way, Carter isn't supposed to know about us, so if you wouldn't mention it, that'd be great."

"Sure…I'm sorry, did you say I'm going to stay with you?" Piz asked curiously.

"Well, you're certainly not staying with my girlfriend." Logan smirked. "The first time that happened you ended up dating."

"Okay, but just so you know? Married. Happily!" Piz waved his wedding ring at Logan.

"Congrats." Logan released him as they reached the outer doors.

"Veronica? Are you okay?" Carter asked her as she watched the guys huddle together and walk away.

"What could possibly go wrong when my two ex-boyfriends decide to stay together?" She frowned.

"They seem friendly enough." Carter observed.

"Logan put Piz in the hospital once."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean he beat Piz to a bloody pulp. There were cracked ribs, stitches, and he was black and blue for weeks."

"Now they're bunk mates." Carter teased. She bit her lip in frustration. "There is another solution you know." He added. She looked at him with relief.

"Oh, yeah? What do you have in mind?"

"Stop hanging out with your exes."

"Very funny." She replied dryly. "Okay, Logan isn't really one to forgive bad first impressions and so far, he doesn't seem to like you. Might I suggest buttering him up a bit?" She attempted.

"Why should I care about his opinion?" Carter scoffed.

"Because he's a profiler from Quantico, and Hendricks is all buddy-buddy with him, and he has connections to Dr. Narayan, who could easily pull either one of us from active duty."

"Are you seriously telling me to kiss some pretty boy's ass?"

"No. I'm asking you to do me a favor and stop ruffling feathers." She pleaded.

"Are you sure you don't need to be pulled from active duty? You didn't even take a week off after-"

"I'm completely fine." Veronica challenged. "We should go."

"How's your shoulder? What's with the wig? Why are you here with Logan Echolls, anyway?" Carter rattled off and she looked up at him in surprise. "Yeah, I can put two and two together, Mars. How long have you and Echolls been dating?"

"We dated in high school." She replied, moving them to follow Logan and Piz.

"And college." Carter added. "I meant how long this time? I'm not stupid and I'm certainly not blind. I didn't miss the hand holding you two had going on before your eyes bugged out when you saw me."

"Look, that is NOT public information. And absolutely not to be talked about at work, you hear me?"

"You don't mention my girlfriend, I won't mention your boyfriend." He assured her. "Of course, same thing goes for your boy. We both know he was eavesdropping on our entire conversation."

"Logan won't say anything." She stated. Carter looked less than convinced. "You have my word." Once they arrived at the Range Rover, Piz and Carter both looked to Veronica for instructions. She opened her mouth to say something, but no sound came out.

"Piz is coming to my place, which means he's getting out last, so he gets shotgun." Logan announced for her.

"Carter knows, Logan." She sighed.

"Out of curiosity," Logan stated to the group. "How does a girl who can't keep a secret get into the FBI?" Piz and Carter each laughed once before she glared at them. "Piz still gets shotgun."

After they were all settled in the vehicle and headed in the direction of Carter's apartment, they sat on the 405 North staring at a sea of brake lights in front of them.

"Gotta love LA." Piz snarked. "Nine at night and we're stuck in traffic."

Twenty minutes later, they were finally driving down the street of Veronica's apartment. "So, Piz. You want to see my favorite part of being in the FBI?" Logan questioned.

"Sure." He answered automatically. "Wait, did you say FBI?"

"Make sure you're buckled in and hold on." Logan responded.

"What? Why?" Piz looked up curiously. The Range Rover darted across a lane of traffic and suddenly they sped up to around sixty miles per hour. Logan then made a highly illegal U-turn with very little slowing, causing the tires to screech and smoke. Everyone held tightly to their seats.

"What the hell are you doing?" Carter called from behind Piz.

"Who is it, Logan?" Veronica asked, scanning the area around the vehicle. Four cars attempted to make the same turn Logan just had.

"The paparazzi are now staking out your place too, Veronica." Logan growled. He swerved through an intersection and down a small side street. "I'm going to lose them." Logan drove for ten minutes, frequently turning back on his tracks.

"Can someone please explain how it's possible that Logan Echolls is in the FBI?" Piz requested, clutching to the door handle.

"Yes. Please explain." Carter agreed.

"What, like it's hard to get in?" Logan smirked as he swerved them into a different lane.

"Actually, yes. Insanely hard." Carter challenged.

"Hey, they came to me. And it doesn't hurt that I'm fluent in three languages, have a double masters and have some friends in really high places."

"Three languages?" Veronica challenged.

"Paso mucho tiempo, viajar, Veronica."

"Spanish? You've got to be kidding me. Calling Weevil a vato doesn't make you fluent, Logan."

"If you'll recall, none of the servants spoke English. I could speak Spanish by the time I was ten. Just because I chose not to, doesn't mean I didn't know how to." He grimaced. "I've ditched them. What's your address?" Logan looked at Carter in the rear view mirror.

"4322. It's in a complex called Rio del Diablo." Carter replied. Logan snorted a laugh. "What's so funny?"

"The Devil's River." Logan observed. "Developers in California are idiots when it comes to naming their properties." He pulled the Range Rover into the posh apartment complex and followed Carter's instructions before pulling up to a curb. Carter jumped out of the vehicle and bid a quick farewell. As soon as Carter began up the stairs to his apartment, Logan peeled out of the parking lot.

"Are we in a hurry?" Veronica asked from the back seat, glaring at Logan in the rear view mirror.

"I'm hungry." Logan justified.

"Sweet. I haven't eaten since noon Eastern time." Piz sighed with relief.

"Since when do you two get along so well?" Veronica mumbled.

"What's that, Sweetie?" Logan asked in a sugary voice.

"Nothing. Can we get something to go and just take it to your place?"

"Absolutely. Any requests?"

"Mexican!" Piz stated emphatically. "You can't get good Mexican food in New York."

"Alejandrito's or Roberto's?" Logan offered.

"The more authentic, the better." Piz declared.

"Alejandrito's it is."

**-XOXOXOX-**

Logan, Veronica, and Piz sat around the kitchen table with crumpled taco and burrito wrappers spread out between them. They'd spent the last three hours chatting about their lives and catching up. It was completely unnerving Veronica to see her exes getting along so well. "So, Veronica. How's your-" Piz began as his cell phone rang.

"Wallace." Piz growled as he answered.

"Piz! I just wanted to let you know that the sacrifice was SO worth it, man. Jasmine is unbelievably hot. And she's smart. And she's a Sharks Cheerleader!"

"You're an ass." Piz announced.

"You're the one who's always telling me to get out there. So, I'm out. And, oh man, she is awesome. And we're going out again on Wednesday."

"That's nice. You want to hear a funny story?" Piz queried, but didn't wait for an answer. "I flew all the way across the country to see my best friend. And instead of him picking me up at the airport, my ex-girlfriend's ex-boyfriend, who is now a current boyfriend again did. And since I didn't have a place to stay, yeah, you heard me, I'm staying at Logan's house. All that because my friend wanted to get laid."

"He got laid?!" Veronica shrieked.

"Tell him I said good job." Logan smirked.

"Piz! I'm sorry. But it's really not like that. Yeah, I accidentally booked a date on the same night you were scheduled to come in. But, I asked Veronica to pick you up, not Logan. And it's not like Logan isn't a good guy. Ask him to show you the room with the 360." Wallace was justifying. "Wait, was that them? They're listening to this?"

"Veronica is shocked you got laid. Logan is proud." Piz relayed.

"I'm not shocked!" Veronica defended.

"I didn't get laid!" Wallace challenged. "I went on a date. This girl isn't just some opportunity to get sex. She's amazing."

"Oh, so you're saying you love her?" Piz asked with a smile. "There's a shocker, Wallace is falling hook, line, and sinker for another girl."

"I didn't say anything about love!" Wallace groaned. "Don't get Veroni-"

"WALLACE, YOU'RE IN LOVE?!" Veronica squealed into the phone that she'd ripped from Piz's hand.

"Damn it. No. I never said any of that. Piz is just twisting my words."

"I can hear you smiling over the phone. You're so in love." Veronica grinned.

"I hate you." Wallace frowned.

"You love me." Veronica corrected. "So when can I meet her?"

"Veronica! You are impossible." Wallace moaned.

"Look. I'm calling to tell you I'll be up tomorrow to get Piz. I won't wake up until about eight, so I'll probably get there around 10:30 or so."

"Ooh. You can stay up here and hang out. It'll be fun. I think Mac and Dick will be up here again this weekend. And you can stay up late with me and give me all the details about your lady." She smiled.

"She's not my lady. We've been on one date. You need to get a grip."

"Can I help it if I want my little Wally-bug to be happy?"

"Never. Call. Me. That. Again." Wallace charged. "But maybe I will come up to stay. There's definitely more to do in LA."

"Yay! See you tomorrow."

"See you tomorrow." Wallace hung up the phone before she asked any more questions.

"Oh, did you want to keep talking to him?" Veronica asked, handing the phone to Piz guiltily.

"No. It's cool. Is he planning on seeing me?"

"He's coming up tomorrow morning." Veronica replied as Piz yawned widely.

"Okay, I'm beat."

"I'm not surprised. It's 3 am your time." Logan laughed.

"Man, it's almost time to get up." Piz snickered.

"You know where your room is, but if you need any towels or anything, they're in the closet in the bathroom." Logan provided as Piz stood up and walked out of the room.

"Thanks." He called down the stairs.

"Okay, Mars." Logan stated with a frown.

"We could have gotten him a hotel room." She supplied, hoping to steer away from an angry Logan.

"Why? You afraid he'll hear us?"

"Hear us what?" Veronica looked up in surprise as she cleared the table of the trash from their dinner. "Aren't you going to tell me how mad you are that Piz is here?"

"Why would I be mad?" He challenged, helping her with the mess.

"Because my ex-boyfriend is staying at your house?"

"Upon my invitation." Logan clarified. "I wouldn't have invited him if I didn't want him here."

"So then, why are you mad?"

"Who said I was mad?" Logan questioned.

"You sounded mad."

"I'm not mad."

"_Who are you_?!" Veronica asked, her jaw dropping. She stared at him, curiously.

"Logan?" He pointed at himself.

"No, seriously, Logan. You are like a completely different person. I mean…you're so nice. It's weird."

"So, what are you saying, I used to be mean?"

"Yeah!" She exclaimed.

"Gee, thanks." Logan grimaced. He took the trash out of her hands and walked into the kitchen.

"That's not what I meant." Veronica defended, following him.

"What did you mean?"

"You weren't mean to me. Well, most of the time you weren't. But to people like Piz? You weren't exactly sugar and spice."

"I've apologized to him for that." Logan responded, wincing at the thought of the beating.

"I'm not just talking about you beating him up. I mean, that sucked and I'm glad you apologized, but even before that, you weren't friends with Piz. In fact you showed intense dislike towards him. And now, you're acting like best buds."

"I thought that would make you happy. When I was mean to Piz, it pissed you off. Now that I'm nice to Piz, it's pissing you off. Is there anything I can do to not piss you off when it comes to Piz?"

"I'm not pissed off. I just don't understand. Why are you being so nice to him? We just sat here and talked for hours. Not once were you sarcastic or grumpy. You didn't pick any fights or try to back him into a corner or anything. I just don't get it."

"I'm glad to know you have such a high opinion of me that you don't think I can get through one conversation."

"See? That right there. Sarcasm. _That_ is what I'm talking about. Where was that when we were talking with Piz? Or am I the only person who has to deal with your sarcastic wit?"

"Deal with?" Logan argued. "Veronica, you are the most sarcastic person I've ever met. I'm sarcastic with you because you can take it. No, it's more than that. _You like it_. You like witty repartee. It's why you never would have worked out with someone like Piz. He can't banter with you."

"I never said that I wanted to argue with you! Why is it that everyone thinks all I ever do is argue with people?"

"I never said anything about arguing. I'm saying you think you don't want to be in a relationship that's volatile, but deep down, that's exactly what you want. You can't handle being in a relationship that doesn't push you."

"Oh, but you can handle it? Because you were so happy with your last girlfriend?" She responded without thinking.

"Hell no, I can't handle it! Why do you think I broke up with her?" He dropped the trash into the can by the back door. "And why would I want to? I'm done trying to be in a relationship with someone who can't push my buttons. I know exactly what I want. And it's not some perfect little happy go lucky Susie Home-maker. I'm too jaded and way too screwed up to ever be happy with Mary Poppins. I want fire and passion and someone who won't just give in because of who my parents were or what kind of car I drive. And I know you want the same things, if you would just admit it to yourself. Because as much as you don't want to admit it, you don't want the safe guy. You want someone to fight with just as much as I do. But admitting that would be admitting that you've been wrong. And God forbid Veronica Mars is wrong about something."

"See? I told you you were mad." She defended her original position.

"You're the one who is picking a fight with me!" Logan countered. "And I would say I have no idea why this time because all I did was be nice to my girlfriend's friend. But I know better. You're picking a fight with me because you don't like to feel out of control. You expected me to get pissed off when you sprang your ex-boyfriend on me at the airport and when I didn't you felt like you weren't in control anymore."

"So, now I'm not just a bitch to be around, I'm also a control freak?" She growled.

"I _never_ said anything about you being a bitch. But yeah, you are a total control freak. And I pulled the rug out from under you by not catering to your expectations."

"So you think I actually want my boyfriend to be a jerk?"

"If I play the jerk, then you get to apologize for my actions and come out looking like a saint." He continued.

"You asshole! It's not like that! I can't believe you'd even-" She argued as tears began to sting her eyes until she looked up and saw the glimmer in Logan's eyes. She gasped as she realized he was straining to hide a laugh behind his hand. "You are such an asshole!" She turned and stomped out of the kitchen. He caught her quickly and wrapped his arms around her as she struggled to get away from him.

"Veronica." He cooed into her ear.

"Leave me alone." She elbowed him in the ribs. "You were doing that on purpose."

"Of course I was. You said I'm mean. You know, you're cute when you're mad." He chuckled. She attempted to stomp her heel into his foot, but he moved it out of her reach too quickly and she just hit the floor. "Besides. I had two guys other than myself in my car tonight that have kissed you. And I didn't hit either of them. Aren't you proud of me?"

"Proud of you? You just picked a fight with me, blamed me for starting it, and now you won't let me go."

"You tricked me into letting your ex-boyfriend stay in my guest bedroom and spent twenty minutes flirting in French at the airport."

"Flirting?! We weren't flirting! We were catching up on his trip to France. I was helping with _your_ investigation."

"I know what flirting sounds like. And you two were flirting. And if you wanted me to know what you were saying, you'd have conducted your 'investigation' in English. So I picked one little fight with you. You've been walking around me on eggshells all night like you were afraid I was going to explode. I messed with you a little. Sue me."

"We were not flirting. He is my partner. And have _you_ noticed that you've completely skipped over everything that involves my married ex-boyfriend who you suddenly find harmless, and focused on the little, tiny, miniscule fact that my partner is single and hot?"

"Please, Veronica. You're not going to goad me into a jealous rage by calling your partner 'hot'. Do you really think so little of me?" He scoffed.

"I know you're secure enough to hear that you're not the prettiest boy in the room, Logan. Don't worry." Veronica smirked.

"Oh, you are so going to get it." Logan challenged, pulling Veronica's legs out from under her and tossing her over his shoulder. He ran through the door, down the hall and into the library where he tossed her down onto the couch.

"Okay, Caveman. Must you constantly throw me around like a sack of potatoes?"

"Take it back." He demanded, pinning her to the couch.

"Take what back?" She questioned, feigning innocence.

"You know damn well what."

"Oh, come on. You can't seriously still try to hold me to that. That was years ago, Logan."

"Take it back." He said plainly.

"Fine. You're the prettiest boy in the room." She replied as dryly as possible.

"Like you mean it, Veronica. That was the rule."

"I can't believe you even expect me to keep that up. It was a dare when we were 16! And we were all drunk!"

"And you agreed to it. So out with it."

"Fine. Logan? You are the prettiest boy in the room. You have always been the prettiest boy in the room. And Logan? No one on earth will ever be as pretty as you are." She looked up at him and felt the electricity run down her spine.

"And?" He asked, not taking his eyes off of hers.

"I'm not saying the last part." She challenged.

"Then you'll have to suffer the consequences." He narrowed his eyes at her.

"I'm not saying it because it's not true."

"How is it not true?" He pouted.

"No girl would be lucky to have you."

"Ouch. Thanks, Veronica." Logan frowned and Veronica reached up and ran her fingers over his creased brow.

"No girl would be lucky to have you because she'd have to fight me first. And I fight dirty." Logan attempted to end the conversation by devouring her mouth, but she pushed him away.

"Uhn-uh. Your turn."

"What was it I was supposed to say?"

"Don't even pretend you don't know." She contradicted.

"Okay. Veronica Mars is smarter than me." Logan rolled his eyes. "Even if that sentence isn't grammatically correct."

"Say it like you mean it, punk." She sent a light jab to his gut.

"No. That wasn't part of your dare. I was smart enough to put quantifiers on mine. You settled for the statement itself." He prevented her rebuttal by kissing her again. As he repositioned himself on top of her, he giggled.

"What's so funny?" She questioned into his neck.

"Lilly called us losers because our dares were so basic." He laughed. "I don't think she took our stubborn-ness into account."

"How so?"

"If she knew that ten years later we'd still be doing this…"

"Somewhere out there, Lilly Kane is calling us losers." Veronica laughed.

"I can live with that." He smirked and refocused his attention on her mouth.

**-XOXOXOX-**

Piz walked into the kitchen the next morning surprised to find Veronica hovering over her laptop. She was wearing a large sweatshirt and trying to type with her hands stuffed into the sleeves. "Work or pleasure?" He questioned. She immediately shut the program she was working on and flipped to see him. "Work, then?" Piz laughed.

"Yeah. Sorry, it's nothing personal."

"Nice wallpaper." Piz remarked with a blush, pointing at her screen.

"Yeah. Logan thought it would be funny for me to open my computer at work with that. It's his passive aggressive way of telling my co-workers I'm off limits."

"Did it work?" He still hadn't taken his eyes off of the picture of Veronica and who he assumed was Logan, kissing with very little clothing.

"Only one guy saw it before I shut the laptop."

"That didn't answer my question." Piz observed.

"The guy didn't talk to me for the rest of the day. So I guess it's possible."

"The guy who saw it has a huge crush on Veronica and yes, it worked." Logan called from the living room. "And it wasn't a passive aggressive attempt at anything! It was a romantic gesture!"

Veronica rolled her eyes with a smile. "So, Piz. I'm glad you're up so early. My roommate, Jamie, is meeting us for breakfast at Amandine Patisserie. You hungry?"

"Don't let her bully you into going if you would rather not go!" Logan snorted from the other room.

"What's this Amanda-whozit place like?" Piz clarified.

"_Amandine Patisserie_. It's an awesome little bakery with pastries that are to-die-for. Don't let Logan scare you. He's just anti-social."

"Have you not noticed the paparazzi stalkers, Veronica? I'm not anti-social, I'm intelligent. That place is on Wilshire. I avoid any streets Harvey Levin practically owns." Logan yelled.

"Harvey who?" Piz wondered aloud.

"He's the guy who runs TMZ." Veronica sighed.

"The 'I'm a Lawyer' guy?" Piz asked, referring to the TMZ television show credits.

"More like 'I'm a scumbag'!" Logan called.

"Yeah. That guy. Logan's not a fan, if you couldn't tell. But none of that matters, because Logan is going to breakfast and he's going to love it. Jamie and I go every Saturday that we're both home. It's tradition."

"Well, if it's as good as you say." Piz acquiesced.

"Better." Veronica proclaimed. Piz walked into the living room to see what Logan was up to, since Veronica kept eyeing her computer anxiously. He was shocked to find Logan sitting on the couch with four files opened on the coffee table, typing rapidly on the laptop in his lap. He was chewing on a pen and had a pencil behind his ear next to his glasses.

"Wow."

"Uh, do me a favor, Piz?"

"Sure."

"Don't read anything in this room."

"Okay." Piz looked up at the ceiling. "Wallace said something about a 360 room."

"Yeah. It's down that hallway on the right. I have PS3, Xbox 360, and the Wii. Play anything you want, just don't use my character on Wii Sports. I'm kicking Dick's ass in a tournament." Logan pointed, but never looked up. Piz wandered out of the room.

"We're leaving in twenty minutes!" Veronica called to him from the kitchen.

"'Ronica, can you come here for a minute?" Logan requested.

"What's up?" She asked as she walked in with her laptop.

"Have you gotten any more information on why Seth was in San Diego?"

"No. With everything else, I kind of left that on the back burner. I've got a nasty case to work on for my actual job. And I'm trying to find irrefutable proof that it's not Carter. Why?"

"He used his credit card at a bar in Neptune." Logan said seriously.

"Neptune?" Veronica asked warily. "Please, PLEASE, don't tell me it was The River Styx."

"No. Have you ever been to the Tidewater Tavern?"

"Maybe once in college? The name sounds familiar." She frowned.

"It's on the PCH and Seth frequents the place. He's been there fourteen times in the last six months. All six times he was in San Diego, there are charges at the bar. Sometimes 3 and 4 times a trip. So, he's either a raging alkie, or he's meeting someone."

"When it was just San Diego that was okay. But Neptune…that's too close to home, right? And only one of those times he was down there while I was too. So, it's not me he's there for…is it?"

"He's been in Neptune. He's stalking you. He's a trained FBI agent. That bar is like six blocks from your dad's place. I don't like this at all, Veronica. I think we should tell your dad."

"No. I'm not going to worry him any more than he already is unless we have something solid to go off of. Right now we just have him going to a bar. Is there any way to get the receipts from other patrons on those nights?"

"Do you think I can get a warrant based on this?" Logan asked sarcastically. "And after going through his credit card statements I'm positive he's not the leak. It took him six months to pay off a 42 inch flat screen tv." Logan scoffed.

"Now, now. We can't all be Mr. Moneybags." She teased.

"I'm not being cocky. I'm looking for someone who has a couple million lying around."

"Well, it's not Carter." Veronica announced, turning her laptop around to show him. "All of his bills at the hotel in Paris were paid for with his girlfriend's credit card. She's the reason I've been trolling the French gossip rags, by the way. Her name is Tulipe Raffa. She's the daughter of the former prime minister. **[Author's note: I made this girl and her father up…mostly]** Her family would not approve of her dating an American, seeing as how she is technically engaged to another man, one of her father's best friend's sons."

"You knew who he was dating before he got back? Why didn't you tell me?" Logan questioned, reading the information on Veronica's screen.

"I wasn't sure it was the proof I needed yet. And this thing with Tulipe is highly confidential. His family wouldn't be happy about it either. It would be like a Kennedy marrying some kind of foreigner."

"Like Maria Shriver marrying Arnold Schwarzeneggar?" Logan raised his eyebrows at her.

"What's that got to do with anything?"

"Maria Shriver is a Kennedy. Ahh-nold is a foreigner…and a Republican."

"Whatever. The families would not be happy. Her family might even go as far as disowning her. So they keep it quiet. Which means you can't divulge any of this to anyone."

"So you think it's okay for a federal agent to carry on a sexual relationship with a foreign diplomat and not inform his superiors?"

"Oh, come off it, Logan. He's not selling secrets to spies. He's dating the daughter of a former prime minister, whose biggest goal in life is to obtain the latest Christian Louboutins before they hit the shelves."

"You think so highly of his girlfriend." Logan mused. "If she's so shallow, why's your perfect partner dating her?"

"She's hot? I don't know. From what I've read in the magazines, she spends the majority of her time shopping."

"And gossip magazines are more reliable in France than they are here?" Logan asked pointedly.

"Okay, fine. They're not. But she's got a Paris Hilton-like status over there. So I'm just assuming some of it must be true. Besides, what really matters here is that Carter doesn't have the money. His girlfriend does in the form of a trust fund."

"Send me a copy of your findings. I'll put them in my report." Logan requested.

"Logan, I promised I wouldn't tell anyone about his girlfriend."

"Oh, so he'd rather get accused of treason than tell his superiors about his affair?"

"His dad _is_ one of his superiors. And if this information gets in the wrong hands, then it's my fault. I promised him he could trust you."

"You shouldn't make promises for me." Logan stated coldly.

"I'll get you the information. But first I'm going to tell Carter."

"No." Logan snapped at her. She looked up at him in surprise. "You're not telling him anything. Don't you dare break my cover because you made some promise to your buddy about his girlfriend. I'm sticking my neck out for you, Veronica. I vouched for you to my bosses and if you blow my cover, it's _my_ ass on the line."

"Okay, okay. I get it." She soothed. "I won't tell him. Honestly, it didn't even occur to me that I'd have to blow your cover to explain it to him. He's been my partner for two years, Logan. I tell him pretty much everything."

"Not this." Logan emphasized. "It's not just me who could be in danger if it gets out."

"He saved my life, Logan. Do you think there's any way to get around including this intel?" Veronica inquired softly.

"Look, it's not going to his dad. It's going to the director of the OPR. We don't share our files with anyone unless they can get clearance. And even then we're not very forthcoming. His dad won't come anywhere near this. Even Hendricks will only get to see the files with noted illegal activities. And lucky for Carter, French kissing isn't illegal."

**-XOXOXOX-**

"You need to change your name, Sugar." Jamie announced as they sat at the table sipping coffees and eating pastries. Logan smirked in amusement at Jamie overplaying his sexuality for Piz. Veronica attempted to chastise Jamie with her frown.

"Why?" Piz asked.

"Are you a candy dispenser?" Jamie asked with a flourish of his hand. Logan's egregious laugh caused fellow patrons to stare.

"Right, like I've never heard that one before." Piz rolled his eyes. "Would you prefer I go by my first name?"

"Yes, absolutely. What is it?"

"Stosh."

"Your parents hated you, didn't they?" Jamie condescended. "Don't worry, Sweetheart. We'll come up with something more appropriate. How do you feel about Mabius?"

"Mabius?" Piz frowned. "Seriously, you want me to give up Stosh Piznarski for Mabius?"

"I like the name Mabius." Jamie crossed his arms.

"You like that actor from Ugly Betty." Veronica corrected.

"Oh yeah! That's Daniel Meade's real last name, isn't it? He is dreamy." Jamie sighed and started humming.

"Jamie, are you humming Bizarre Love Triangle?" Logan raised an eyebrow in obvious disgust.

"Yeppers. I just love New Order. They're so relevant, don't you think? I mean, lately it seems like every guy I meet is some kind of romantic interest for the pixie. Ooh, speaking of all things dreamy, isn't that your ex, Miss V?"

"Guilty." Piz stated.

"Not you, Silly. Him." Jamie pointed across the room at a man being followed by photographers.

"Son of a bitch." Logan swore and stood so quickly his chair fell to the floor with a crash. He was across the crowded room by the time Veronica had the chance to see that he'd left. She righted the chair and apologized to the other diners, her eyes trailing after Logan. Piz and Jamie looked at each other then dashed off after Logan. Veronica followed cautiously, pulling Logan's baseball cap down low enough on her head to shield most of her face if she kept her head down.

"You need to leave. Now." Logan commanded quietly to Casey Gant, whose throng of paparazzi now attracted a crowd.

"Come on, Logan. We're just here to get breakfast."

"Look. I could care less if you want to take millions of pictures of me. Good luck selling magazines, because no one cares what some actor's kid is doing."

"Actually people are _very_ interested to know who you're dating. I hear there's a reward for the first photographer to get the shot.

"I've looked into it. The only magazines publishing pictures of me are owned by Gant Publications. You need to take whatever vendetta you've got against me and shove it." Logan declared getting into Casey's face.

"Hit 'em, Logan! Hit 'em! We can get it all on camera so you can watch it on the news!" One of the photographers yelled.

"Why would I waste my time on a vendetta against you?" Casey ignored his 'friend' the photographer. "You're just some kid I went to high school with."

"You need to back off of her." Logan demanded.

"Her? So now it's not a vendetta against you, it's about a girl? Make up your mind, Logan. Besides, why would I care that you're dating some skank who sleeps with anything that moves?"

Logan stepped away from Casey and clenched his jaw and his fists. He took a long deep breath and then rounded back on Casey. "First. Don't you dare talk about her like that. Second. Stay the fuck away from her. Third. Call off your leeches. They are putting her in danger. And fourth. Get the fuck out of my sight."

"Why can't I talk about her like that? She's a tramp. All those rumors from back in high school were obviously true. She's a lying, cheating skank."

The moment Casey hit the floor pandemonium broke out. The photographers were shouting, the store manager was yelling for them all to leave, and people started pushing and shoving to see what had happened. Logan stared in awe as Jamie rubbed his hand. Veronica finally pushed through the crowd and made it to the front.

"That was assault! We have it on tape! Unprovoked assault!" One of the photographers yelled.

"What did you do?!" She groaned to Logan when she saw the blood gushing from Casey's nose as he pulled himself up off the ground.

"Nothing!" Logan defended, stepping as far away from Veronica as possible. "That would be the work of Rocky Marciano, here." He gestured to Jamie.

"You?" Veronica asked, wide-eyed. "You hit Casey?"

"He was talking shit about you!" Jamie justified.

"Hey! Aren't you James Covington?!" One of the photographers questioned.

"Somebody get him a towel!" Veronica barked at the crowd, pointing to Casey. The photographers just kept taking photos and running their cameras. The crowd watched in wonder. Piz asked the guy behind the counter for a towel and when he received it, he handed it to Veronica. She tenderly offered it to Casey, and he snatched it out of her hands and held it against his nose to stop the bleeding. "Casey, what's going on? Why are you walking around with the paparazzi?"

"They're my employees." Casey announced as if it were obvious. "We're just here to get some breakfast."

"All of you out of my store!" The manager yelled again, pushing people towards the exit.

"Employees? What are you talking about?" Veronica asked when they made it outside. "Can we all go somewhere else and talk about this? Preferably somewhere without cameras?"

"Why, so you can have someone assault me without proof?"

"What is wrong with you?" Veronica exclaimed in frustration. "I didn't have anyone do anything. I didn't even see what happened."

"That's enough. Get out of here." Logan stepped between Casey and Veronica. Her jaw dropped when she realized his low voice was ordering_ her_ away. "There are WAY too many cameras here. It's not safe for you."

"How is it not safe for me, but it's okay for you?" She hissed at him.

"Because I'm not a key witness against the mob." He whispered to her. "Take Piz and get the hell out of here. I'll make sure Jamie gets home safely." He slipped his car keys into her hand.

"I need to talk to Casey." She protested quietly.

"Not here." Logan stated firmly.

"I'm not happy about this." She sneered.

"I could care less if it means you're not getting taped anymore. Go. That's an order, Mars." He directed.

"Yes, sir." Veronica stated through gritted teeth. She turned on her heel, grabbed Piz by his elbow and dragged him away from the fracas. "Run." She commanded and led Piz to Logan's SUV.

"What did Logan say? Why are we leaving?"

"I'll tell you in the car." They made it to the Range Rover with only one photographer in tow. Once they were both inside, she threw the car in gear and they fled the area. "It's really bad for photos of me to get around because I do a lot of undercover work. He ordered me to leave." She explained.

"Ordered you? Somehow I don't really see anyone being able to order you to do anything."

"Logan is a superior officer." She explained without emotion.

"Seriously? Logan Echolls?" Piz mused.

**-XXX-**

**This is the part where I BEG you to review. Seriously...what'd you think?**

**oh, and this was all done sans beta, so if my French or Spanish were off, I apologize. At least I took a couple years of French...Spanish I get from just living in Southern California.**


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